Kiser talks about his decision to return to Notre Dame
Dec. 28—When Jack Kiser entered the University of Notre Dame he was an early enrollee as an 18-year-old after graduating at midterm from Pioneer High School.
When he finishes up next season he'll be a 24-year-old sixth-year linebacker for the Fighting Irish.
No. 24 talked about his decision to come back to Notre Dame for a sixth year during a recent telephone interview with the Pharos-Tribune.
"It was a big decision. There's a lot of factors that go into it," Kiser said. "Factors such as financial reasons to leave versus to stay. Dream opportunities, health, where's my body at? Just mental desire, where do I want to be at, what do I want my life to look like, who I want to be around. There's no secret that Marist [Liufau] and JD [Bertrand] were two of my better friends on the team and they're both moving on. I'm looking around and I'm like, 'man, I'm going to be the old head in the linebacker room with a lot of young guys, is that something that I want to do?' So there were a lot of things that went into it. But ultimately I thought it was the right choice for me.
"Ultimately I know my dream is to play in the NFL, and I think coming back and having the opportunity that I have in front of me can allow me to increase my draft stock, allow me to have a better chance at fulfilling that dream of playing in the NFL. That was the big decision factor that really allowed me to make this choice in deciding to come back. But there were a lot of things that went into it. I talked to a lot of people, had so many conversations just trying to get different perspectives and I think I made the right choice and the best choice for me."
Kiser has been one of Notre Dame's most efficient defenders the past two seasons. He was the team's starting Rover this year, but he played the fewest snaps of the three primary linebackers because the Irish used their nickel package predominately against spread offenses. Kiser only played about 40% of the snaps this year but he still tied for the team lead in solo tackles with Bertrand (40). Kiser finished third on the team in total tackles with 59.
Kiser said increased playing time was a factor in his decision.
"That was part of it, just having conversations with the coaching staff. Tough, true conversations about where things stand now and what the future looks like and just trying to paint that picture. What will reality be next year? So I think talking to them I got a better idea of what next year would look like, what happened this year and transpired this year and why. I think having those real conversations with them and being authentic and genuine with each other allowed us to be on the same page of what we want next year to look like and what the expectation and standard should be."
Versatility is one of Kiser's strengths and he said he's willing to play Mike, Will or Rover next year for the Irish.
"I definitely think I've proven myself to play at a big-time level especially at any position which I think is really key," he said. "And I think they value that that I can do any position. I think I've kind of earned that right. Hopefully that takes care of itself. But there's other roles too, not just playing on the field and being the one out there making the plays but it's also a leadership role, it's a mentor role, it's showing guys what to do, how to do things the right way. It's important to be able to produce on the field but it's just as important to make sure that you're the best version of yourself off the field as well. And I hope I can help the younger guys with that.
"I don't necessarily have a preference. My preference is to just be on the field and be in the position to make plays. I think I've tried to show that through my ability to play Rover, play Will, play Mike. I think that's what the coaching staff understands, too, is I do have that ability so it's what positions can I be put in with others around me to give the defense the best chance at success."
Kiser played in just four games his freshman year in 2019 and was eligible to receive a redshirt year. He's eligible for the sixth year because he got an extra COVID year of eligibility in 2020, as did all NCAA student-athletes.
"It is common lately but it sure doesn't feel quite right in the locker room when you're walking around with some guys that are still 17, 18, it's really different," Kiser said. "But I'm excited for it.
"We call them the old heads. So now I'm an old head. We had a handful of sixth years this year, Michael Vinson, Sam [Hartman], DJ Brown. I approached them about it and said how was it being in the locker room? Did it feel weird? Did you regret your decision to come back for a sixth year or what not. All of their answers were very reassuring saying the locker room keeps you young no matter how old you are. I'm excited for that."
Kiser showed loyalty to Notre Dame and the football program with his decision to come back.
"To me the University of Notre Dame means so much. There's not one word you can say to describe it," he said. "There's been a lot of challenges put in front of me and a lot of hard work that I've had to put in to overcome those challenges. Just talking about the brotherhood and the tradition that's behind the program and to know that I'm a part of it now and I've put my imprint on it and I'm in the history books with it, it means a lot. To have one more year to hopefully do something special at Notre Dame, to have the opportunity to do that is a big deal.
"If you look at the College Football Playoff format, it's changing next year. Notre Dame's opening up against Texas A&M on the big stage in the biggest lights, so to have the chance to be a part of those moments and hopefully capitalize on that is a big deal and I'm just really thrilled to be a part of it for next year."
Kiser has excelled in the classroom as well at Notre Dame. He has already earned two degrees from Notre Dame's Mendoza College of Business. He earned a bachelor's degree in business analytics in his first three years. He earned a Master's degree in accounting last May and was ranked No. 1 out of 84 graduate students with a 4.0 GPA and earned the MSA Dean's Award.
He took three elective classes to stay eligible the first semester of this school year and that looks to be the plan for his final two semesters.
"I have to take classes in the spring and again next fall to stay eligible," he said. "Now I have to meet with my academic advisers and find classes that still have open seats because the rest of these universities already enrolled their classes so I've got to find some classes that are available and figure out my schedule and just go with it. I don't know what I can take but I'm sure they'll be some good stuff and something I can learn."
He added getting another Master's degree in business was unlikely due to circumstances.
"I haven't really looked into that much. I do know that Notre Dame's graduate programs are very strict. I kind of already went down that path and tried to do a couple different degree programs and got turned down because of conflicts with athletics. I don't know if they'd be willing to work on a spring start. At this point I'm just excited to focus on myself and continue to develop and be ready for my opportunity."
Another factor in many college athletes staying in college longer is NIL, as they are now allowed to receive financial compensation.
"I feel at some universities it's a huge thing. I think Notre Dame's really tried to make it more of a team-oriented kind of deal and very much so involved with the community," Kiser said. "I do respect Notre Dame for that. Some schools I don't know if they're just throwing them money or what not. You hear almost everything on social media so who knows what's true and what's not. But it is a unique opportunity for the student-athletes to be able to capitalize on their platform and brand. If it's used right it can be very powerful."
Kiser and No. 15 Notre Dame (9-3) close out the season against No. 21 Oregon-State (8-4) at 2 p.m. Friday in the Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl in El Paso, Texas. The game will be televised on CBS.
