Notre Dame 99-to-0: No. 40 Joshua Burnham, sophomore linebacker-turned-Vyper end

Listed measurements: 6-foot-3 ½, 247 pounds.
2023-24 year, eligibility: A sophomore, Burnham has all four seasons of eligibility remaining.
Depth Chart: Recruited as a linebacker, Burnham moved to Vyper defensive end before last season, where he should be just outside the two-deep, the 2B to classmate (and fellow former linebacker) Junior Tuihalamaka as the 2A behind senior Jordan Botelho.
Recruiting: Its beginning is a little vague, but as you proceed through these write-ups, it becomes clear Notre Dame and Wisconsin have been crossing paths in recruiting more often in the last couple cycles. Incoming freshman offensive lineman Chris Terek was a longtime Badgers commitment before they changed coaches; sophomore left guard Billy Schrauth was famously Marcus Freeman’s first stop as Irish head coach, pulling the mauler out of Wisconsin. And Burnham considered the Badgers before narrowing his choices to Notre Dame and his homestate Michigan, a more traditional recruiting race that made Wisconsin’s inclusion stand out.

The No. 4 inside linebacker and No. 127 overall recruit in the class, per rivals.com, Burnham was probably always destined for South Bend. After all, he committed on his birthday which just so happens to be St. Patrick’s Day.

CAREER TO DATE
Burnham was credited with half a tackle for loss in his one appearance last season, the snowy blowout of Boston College.

NAME, IMAGE, LIKENESS
Is there any greater joy in a kid’s life than his or her older brothers showing up at a sporting event? Your father’s players doing so is thus presumably also an endorphin rush.

QUOTES
Burnham arrived at Notre Dame as an early enrollee and spent the first days of that spring at linebacker. His length and athleticism immediately prompted some thoughts of a life at defensive end, particularly if he could put on some weight (214 pounds that spring compared to 247 this summer). But it should be remembered, just a bit more than a year ago, Burnham was very much still a linebacker.

“Last year he was a linebacker at this time,” Irish defensive line coach Al Washington said this spring. “He’s really filling out, as well. He’s going to be a big guy, he’s very coachable and progressing really nicely.”

That linebacker background is part of why Burnham makes sense at Vyper end. Think back to pass-rush extraordinaire Isaiah Foskey having to learn how to drop into pass coverage. The dynamic defensive end allows Notre Dame some defensive versatility without changing personnel, the literally bigger version of the same concept with the Rover linebacker.

“That ability to play off the ball and be comfortable is really, really important,” Washington said. “It speaks to what you want to be able to do.

“We have packages where we have true, four-down linemen. We do that, too. But I think [the Vyper end] historically has been a guy that has traits off the ball, as well as on the ball. The more comfortable that guy is off the ball, the more you can do.”

WHAT WAS PROJECTED A YEAR AGO
“Realizing Burnham is new to his current position and buried on the depth chart, there will be a reflex to see him as the solution for running back depth since he starred offensively in high school. Burnham ran for 1,515 yards and 29 touchdowns in 2021 while throwing for 963 yards and 14 more touchdowns.

“That was as a quarterback against over-matched opposition.

“It was not as a running back bracing for top-tier defenses.

“Burnham is unlikely to move to running back as a band-aid this season, even if finding some depth there will be necessary.

“Rather, his 76 tackles with 12.5 for loss and two interceptions last season portend his future. But that is his future, not this season.

“Burnham will have plenty of time to get that wanted weight on while Foskey and (Justin) Ademilola star. Some of that time should result in special teams work. That, if anything, may be the natural progression for a two-way high school star.”

2023 OUTLOOK
Botelho has always had the physical skill set to contribute on Saturdays. From the moment he arrived on campus, that was the case. But immaturity, a lack of discipline and players like Foskey and fifth-year linebackers Jack Kiser and JD Bertrand kept Botelho’s role to a minimum.

The latter piece of that is no longer applicable; Botelho should start at Vyper end. The only reason he might not is himself.

Presume, more for his sake than Notre Dame’s, that there is no such concern. Then Burnham needs to worry about competing with only Tuihalamaka to support Botelho. The Irish will be content to split those snaps if the pair of sophomore converted-linebackers are on even footing with each other.

DOWN THE ROAD
Deciphering any edge between Burnham and Tuihalamaka will immediately inform the 2024 depth chart, particularly if Botelho heads to the NFL with one season of eligibility remaining.

There are worse things than forming a defensive end platoon with a classmate. Without even pulling up past seasons’ stats, players who have done so include Daelin Hayes and Ade Ogundeji.

Trading snaps at defensive end allows those explosive players to not only remain explosive but also to study their opponents during the game. Figuring out where an offensive tackle is cheating in his form will lead to second-half delights for the pass rushers.

NOTRE DAME 99-TO-0
The summer countdown begins anew, Rylie Mills to Deion Colzie
No. 99 Rylie Mills, senior defensive tackle, moving back inside from end
No. 98 Devan Houstan, early-enrolled four-star defensive tackle
No. 97 Gabriel Rubio, junior defensive tackle, one of three Irish DTs with notable experience
No. 95 Tyson Ford, sophomore defensive tackle, up 30 pounds from a year ago
No. 93 Armel Mukam, incoming freshman defensive end, former Stanford commit
No. 92 Aidan Keanaaina, a senior defensive tackle now ‘fully healthy’ after a 2022 torn ACL
No. 91 Aiden Gobaira, sophomore defensive end, former four-star recruit
No. 88 Mitchell Evans, the next starter at ‘TE U
No. 87 Cooper Flanagan, incoming freshman tight end, four-star recruit
No. 84 Kevin Bauman, senior tight end coming off a torn ACL
No. 83 Jayden Thomas, junior receiver, probable No. 1 target in 2023
No. 79 Tosh Baker, senior tackle, again a backup but next year ...
No. 78 Pat Coogan, junior interior offensive lineman
No. 77 Ty Chan, sophomore offensive tackle, former four-star recruit
No. 76 Joe Alt, first-team All-American left tackle
No. 75 Sullivan Absher, incoming freshman offensive lineman
No. 74 Billy Schrauth, sophomore left guard, likely starter
No. 73 Andrew Kristofic, fifth-year right guard, likely starter
No. 72 Sam Pendelton, early-enrolled freshman offensive lineman
No. 70 Ashton Craig, sophomore interior offensive lineman
No. 68 Michael Carmody, senior offensive lineman
No. 65 Michael Vinson, sixth-year long snapper, four-year starter
No. 64 Joe Otting, incoming freshman offensive lineman, four-star recruit
No. 59 Aamil Wagner, sophomore offensive tackle
No. 56 Charles Jagusah, incoming freshman offensive lineman, four-star recruit
No. 56 Howard Cross, fifth-year defensive tackle, multi-year starter
No. 55 Chris Terek, incoming freshman offensive lineman, four-star recruit
No. 54 Blake Fisher, junior right tackle, second-year starter
No. 52 Zeke Correll, fifth-year center, third-year starter
No. 51 Boubacar Traore, incoming freshman defensive end, four-star recruit
No. 50 Rocco Spindler, junior offensive guard
No. 47 Jason Onye, junior defensive tackle on the verge of playing time
No. 44 Junior Tuihalamaka, sophomore defensive end, former linebacker
No. 42 Nolan Ziegler, sophomore linebacker, Irish legacy
No. 41 Donovan Hinish, sophomore defensive tackle following in his brother’s footsteps
No. 17 Brenan Vernon, incoming freshman defensive end, four-star recruit
No. 13 Holden Staes, sophomore tight end, up 20 pounds in a year
No. 12 Penn State RB transfer Devyn Ford gives Notre Dame newly-needed backfield depth, experience
No. 4 Rhode Island transfer safety Antonio Carter gives Notre Dame desperately needed backline depth

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