Film Don't Lie | Chris Burgess
Notre Dame has a type on the defensive line. They are looking for long, twitchy athletes and they just landed another one in Chris Burgess.
With a recorded 80-inch wingspan last spring, Burgess also had a 28-inch vertical leap and a quicker 10-yard split than 2024 4-star edge Marquise Lightfoot. All of that was backed up when Burgess camped with Notre Dame in the summer and competed at Irish Invasion.
He impressed that day with coachability, effort, and he displayed more flexibility as a pass rusher than I previously thought he had. Burgess has plenty of raw talent, but will need some time to refine it at Notre Dame.
Height: 6’4”
Weight: 241
Projected Position: Defensive end
ISD Grade: 90 (4-star)
National Average Grade: 91.0 (4-star)
What he does best:
Burgess flashes a very good first step and he can really move. He has a massive frame and I think he has the potential to gain a ton of weight.
He lines up inside often and he can be a disruptive presence there.
He displays the strength to be a force at the point of attack.
What he needs to improve:
He’s inconsistent with his hands off the snap. He has the length to control blockers at the point of attack, but doesn’t always bring the necessary punch off the ball.
Burgess has too many instances where his pad level is too high. Blockers can get underneath him and that makes him slow to shed blocks and get to the football.
He’s extremely raw as a pass rusher and struggles to finish because he’s a bit tight in his hips.
What’s his ceiling?
I liked Burgess a lot more after watching in person than I did after watching his junior film. There’s a lot of inconsistencies to his game and because he stands up more than he should, he doesn’t always use the impressive physical traits that make him a blue-chip prospect.
But those traits are extremely enticing. He has the potential to develop into one of the more unique talents on the field if he puts on the 30-40 pounds that I think he can carry very well.
He didn’t make the jump as a junior that I wanted him to and I think he may need a couple of years working with Al Washington and in the strength and conditioning program before establishing himself at Notre Dame. He reminds me quite a bit of a former Florida State DE Janarius Robinson, who was also raw in many areas, but eventually the NFL traits won out as he developed into an NFL Draft pick.
Burgess has the potential to do the same.
Who he could be:
Former FSU DE Janarius Robinson
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