Ethan Burke

Ethan Burke grew up in the Baltimore area with his parents (Zack and Jill). His father was a professional lacrosse player and later a coach, which explains why lacrosse was Burke’s first love. The family relocated to the San Diego area, until Zack Burke was hired to be head lacrosse coach at Austin Westlake High School. Ethan Burke enrolled at Westlake midway through his freshman year and joined the football team as a sophomore. He missed the first half of his junior season because of a broken collarbone (suffered while playing lacrosse) but returned for the team’s state championship run (he sacked Quinn Ewers twice in a 2020 state title game win). Burke started to receive lacrosse scholarship offers, including from a powerhouse Maryland program. A four-star football recruit, the interest in him for that sport started to grow during his senior season, including offers from Baylor, Texas Tech and Michigan. He committed to the Wolverines but abruptly flipped to Texas when the Longhorns swooped in days before signing day. Burke is high cut with a lean, angular frame and massive wingspan (three blocked field goals over the past two seasons). He is quick off the snap, with the physicality that he developed from years and years of playing lacrosse with older kids. He tends to rush with tall pads and get stuck at the top of his rush. However, he showed clear improvements coming to balance on the move to make tackles. His effort and hard-working attitude will serve him well at the next level. Overall, Burke is a coordinated athlete who is at his best when he properly uses his length. He needs to be more consistent with his rush plan and shed skills to secure an NFL roster spot.