‘28 4-Star EDGE Asa Burch Commits To Notre Dame

On Saturday, November 7, 2026, Warren G. Harding junior Asa Burch kicked down a door that hadn’t been open in 50 years.  His commitment to spend his collegiate football career at Notre Dame will make him the first native of Warren, Ohio to do so since ‘74 Warren Western Reserve alum Willard Browner made his way to South Bend.

You have to go back another two years to find a Harding alum that joined the Fighting Irish in former defensive back Ron Cullins, who played for Notre Dame in 1974 & 1975.

Burch, who Rivals currently lists as the 6th best “EDGE” prospect (36th overall) in the nation for the class of 2028, is now set to become the ninth athlete in Warren history to grace the football field for the prestigious program at Notre Dame.  In addition to the aforementioned alumni, he’ll join the late legends Jim Brutz, Chuck Riffle, George Nicula, and Tony Capers out of Harding and two more Browner brothers, Jim and (the late) Ross, out of Reserve.

'75 Warren Western Reserve alum Jim Browner (#33) records a sack for Notre Dame in the 1978 Cotton Bowl against Texas while his brother, the late Ross Browner, is also in on the rush.

Earlier this year on April 12, Notre Dame became the 13th of an eventual 30 colleges to offer Burch.  Ultimately, Fighting Irish head coach Marcus Freeman, who also has deep Ohio roots as he’s a 2004 alum of Wayne High School (Huber Heights, OH), led the charge as he established a strong connection with Burch.

“It feels amazing!” Burch said about his commitment.  “I built a great relationship with Coach Freeman and his staff, so this is where I want to be.”

With the commitment coming on campus this past Saturday, Burch was in attendance to see the 11th ranked Fighting Irish take down the top-ranked Miami Hurricanes by the final score of 31-24.  Their efforts quickly reminded him why he chose to wear the blue and gold.

“It was spectacular!” Burch said of the game day experience.  “I love what Notre Dame does with their defensive ends.  They made a big difference against Miami.”

Burch's junior year highlight film (2026 season).

Notre Dame won the war for Burch’s services over the likes of Michigan, Ohio State, Miami, Indiana, Oregon, Kentucky, Penn State, Tennessee, etc.

Speaking of “Michigan,” Asa’s father, Harding Director of Football Operations and Defensive Backs Coach Alfie Burch, is a former Wolverine who many assumed would influence his son to follow in his footsteps and end up in Ann Arbor.  That said, Asa will actually be his third child to compete at the college level.  His oldest son, Elijah, played college football at Ashland, Mount Union, and Geneva College while his daughter, Faith, played women’s basketball for both Cleveland State and Youngstown State.

For Alfie, helping his children set themselves up for their futures beyond the high school level is a process that he doesn't take lightly.

“The blueprint always starts with mental and emotional preparation,” Alfie said.  “If you want something bad enough, you have to invest so many hours of your time, it literally becomes a lifestyle.  You may not be the best in the beginning, but if you follow the blueprint, you can get to where you want to be.”  

“I want the absolute best for all of my kids.  It was important for me to help Asa put himself in the position to make the decision that he felt was best for him.”

Asa finished Harding’s 2026 football season with team-high totals in tackles (67), sacks (5.0; tied with senior Justice Dukes), and interceptions (two; tied with senior Matt Richardson and fellow junior Elias Johnson).  As a sophomore in 2025, Asa became Harding’s first player since 2002 to return two interceptions for touchdowns in a single season, which was previously done by then-junior Rob Massucci.

Burch's sophomore highlight film (2025 season)

With one of the biggest decisions of his life out of the way, Asa will look to prepare himself for what he hopes to be a strong ending to a successful high school career.

“This offseason, I want to continue to get bigger, stronger, and faster,” Asa added.  “I want to help lead my team to more success on the field because I know that we have what it takes.”

Freeman and his staff at Notre Dame would agree to that.