National Signing Day: Three-Star TE George Burhenn Signs With Purdue
Tight end George Burhenn is one of the most underrated players in Purdue’s 2023 recruiting class, but could become a household name in the Big Ten. Burhenn is currently the only tight end committed to the Boilermakers for head coach Ryan Walters.
After Jeff Brohm’s departure to Louisville, Burhenn explored other options and waited to sign his NLI until today. The Fortville, Indiana native chose Purdue over offers from Iowa, Iowa State, Michigan State, Rutgers, Virginia Tech, Vanderbilt and others. He also visited Louisville last weekend to see Jeff Brohm and the Cardinals before eventually staying true to his commitment to Purdue. Rivals rated him as a three-star recruit and the 13th best prospect in the state of Indiana for the class of 2023.
During his senior season at Mt. Vernon in Indiana, Burhenn had 38 catches for 784 yards and 9 touchdowns through the air while adding 127 yards and a touchdown on the ground. He also made his impact felt on special teams, where he returned both kicks and punts. The tight end averaged 19.5 yards per return on punts and 18.9 yards on kickoffs.
Burhenn played all three phases during his high school career, racking up 46 tackles as a senior and 44 tackles as a junior while playing safety for Mt. Vernon.
As a junior, Burhenn was a part of the Class 4A State Champion Mt. Vernon team. That season he caught 28 passes for 443 yards and five touchdowns en route to winning the Indiana state title.
Following his career in Fortville, he was named Mr. Football for his position at tight end and was a finalist for the overall Mr. Football award in the state of Indiana. Only he and Dillon Thieneman were Mr. Football position winners in Purdue’s incoming recruiting class.
In high school, Burhenn has also competed in track and field, where he was in the hurdles and 4x400 relay and is on the basketball team at Mt. Vernon.
Burhenn was a main focus of the Mt. Vernon offense, along with wide receiver Eli Bridenthal who is a Xavier baseball commit. Standing at 6’5” and weighing 215 pounds, Burhenn moves extremely well for a player of his size. He is able to go up and get 50/50 balls in the red zone, while also getting the ball out in open space and making big plays happen.
After playing tight end, wide receiver, and safety in high school, Burhenn will move to tight end at the collegiate level. The Purdue coaching staff will be able to move the versatile pass catcher around in different sets once he hits the field. His speed for a tight end and yard after catch ability will make him one of the most intriguing players on the Purdue offense in the coming years.