After weeks of buildup, 2025 four-star defensive end Christopher Burgess Jr. has announced his commitment to Notre Dame football.

Burgess hinted at knowing his decision Friday night on X/Twitter and publicly announced his pledge to the Irish on Saturday's NBC telecast of the All-American Bowl in San Antonio. Notre Dame beat out finalists Alabama, Michigan and Ohio State for the Chicago Simeon defender's commitment.

The Irish offered Burgess, who was unranked at the time, during their annual Pot of Gold Day recruiting event in March. The relationship immediately grew after a pair of visits in March and April, and it escalated more when Burgess visited twice in the summer and again for the Ohio State game in September.

In previous statements to Inside ND Sports, including an in-person interview in May, Burgess said the school's proximity to Chicago, practice intensity and relationships with head coach Marcus Freeman and defensive line coach Al Washington stood out about ND.

“Notre Dame that’s close to home," Burgess told Rivals national recruiting analyst Greg Smith. "It’s like an hour away and they’re promising to develop me the most as a player and person. And they talk about life after football. My parents love that school. They love it there. Coach Al Washington and coach Freeman said I’m their top priority.”

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Burgess, the No. 6 strongside defensive end in the 2025 recruiting class, is ranked as the No. 61 overall player in the class. As the No. 4 player in Illinois, Burgess holds a 5.9 rating, which makes him an All-American Candidate with first-to-third-round NFL potential, according to the Rivals football recruiting rankings formula.

"Burgess is a great pickup for the Irish," Smith said. "He’s one of the top defenders in the region for his class for good reason. His size (6-foot-4, 240 pounds) and speed combination allow him to be a versatile piece on the line. He’s twitchy enough to play off the edge but his frame would allow him to add more mass and play on the interior of the line. He plays with a high motor and could be a multi-year starter in South Bend."

After signing the 2024 recruiting class that included Glenbard South four-star wide receiver Cam Williams, Freeman spoke to the importance of keeping a pipeline between Chicagoland recruits and Notre Dame. Burgess is the third Chicago prospect — alongside four-star vyper end Dominik Hulak out of Elmhurst IC Catholic Prep and four-star defensive lineman Joseph Reiff out of Elmhurst York — to commit to the Irish in the 2025 cycle.

"We have to make sure that the best players in Chicago that fit this place continue to come to Notre Dame," Freeman said in December.

Last spring and summer, Burgess' spotlight grew on the national radar after performances at the Cincinnati Rivals Camp series and the Rivals NextGen Five-Star Pro Day, the latter of which we won defensive line MVP. Burgess' junior season was hampered by injury but he managed 12 tackles including four for loss and two sacks in six games reported to MaxPreps.

Freeman and Washington were Burgess' two primary recruiters. Washington and defensive assistants Ashton Derico and Nick Sebastian worked closely with Burgess at Irish Invasion in June, where he showcased his power and speed in one-on-ones, sled work and cone drills.

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After Burgess' commitment, Notre Dame's 2025 class remains No. 1 in the Rivals 2025 team rankings with a 1,407-point total. He is the second highest-ranked commitment in the class, behind four-star quarterback commit Deuce Knight. The Lucedale (Miss.) George County recruit is the No. 33 overall player in the class and publicly recruited Burgess ahead of his decision. Four-star safety commit Ivan Taylor, the No. 11 safety in the class, is also a Rivals100 player.

The Irish are up to five defensive line commitments including Hulak, Reiff, three-star defensive end CJ May and four-star defensive tackle Davion Dixon. Washington is also still pursuing four-star defensive end Damien Shanklin, a target out of Indianapolis Warren Central who visited campus twice in October and once in December.

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