Notre Dame football fights to keep key recruit as Michigan State turns up the heat

As if the Notre Dame football team having to worry about keeping quarterback commit Deuce Knight in the fold wasn’t enough, it now looks like another longtime commit might have a wandering eye. Things are coming unraveled rather quickly in South Bend.

This weekend, not long before the Blue and Gold suffered a massive loss to Northern Illinois, reports started circulating around wide receiver commit Elijah Burress. The 3-star prospect is being heavily recruited by his father’s old school in Michigan State.

Burress pulled the trigger on a commitment to the Notre Dame football team back in February. While he hasn’t been a commit for quite as long as Knight has, there are similarities. For the quarterback, it’s a pull back towards his home state area. For Burress, it’s about playing for hte same school as his NFL father.

Elijah is Plaxico Burress’s son and it has to be a draw to tread the same turf as your dad. The question now is whether or not the Spartans getting into the game at this late date can move the dial.

Notre Dame football battling Big Ten power for longtime commit Elijah Burress

247Sports reporter Brian Dohn spoke to Burress about the process and the progress Michigan State is making in his recruitment. It’s clear MSU is making some inroads.

However, like Knight, despite Michigan State’s best efforts, Burress hasn’t decommitted yet. Unlike Knight, at this point, he doesn’t even have a visit to Lansing on the agenda.

Still, it can’t be good that the Notre Dame football team is having to fight off pursuers for yet another committed player. Especially when that fight comes just as the Fighting Irish are trying to right the ship after an ugly loss to a massive underdog.

Granted, this is only going to happen more and more as the season goes on and the calendar gets closer and closer to December. Teams will take flyers on players committed elsewhere before National Signing Day.

Notre Dame football can correct course a little bit by winning more games. To show Elijah Burress why he should stay home, they’ll need to demonstrate a competent passing game.