Notre Dame 99-to-0: No. 24 Jack Kiser, fifth-year linebacker, third-year starter, most efficient defender

Listed measurements: 6-foot-1 ⅝, 223 pounds.
2023-24 year, eligibility: A fifth-year veteran, Kiser has two seasons of eligibility remaining.
Depth Chart: For a third year, Kiser will start. Where he starts may be a bit ubiquitous. Simply based on its role, the Rover linebacker is both the second-level defender most in coverage and the second-level defender first off the field in situational roles. Kiser will meet the first half of that concept, but he will probably be the last Notre Dame linebacker off the field in situational roles among him and classmates JD Bertrand and Marist Liufau. Thus, the most accurate descriptor for Kiser’s role this season may be Will (weakside) linebacker, as he likely plays that most often, given the Irish will almost certainly be in a nickel defense more often than any other personnel package.
Recruiting: By the common definition in the recruiting industry, a consensus three-star prospect is not widely considered a player that will start for multiple seasons at a Power Five Playoff contender. Kiser has far exceeded that projection. The one-time Mr. Indiana Football debated between Notre Dame and Purdue, not genuinely considering any programs from outside the state.

CAREER TO DATE
A prototypical four-game freshman season preceded a sophomore year highlighted by a very 2020-cameo against South Florida, when Kiser went from scout team-to-first team in a week thanks to a pandemic outbreak among the Irish defense. He made eight tackles, with two for loss, in that spot start and very much left an impression.

That impression became more of a reality in 2021 when Shayne Simon, Marist Liufau and Paul Moala were all injured, thrusting Kiser into a long-term starting role, one he thrived in and has now never relinquished. Two defensive touchdowns that season were the highlights, but he had his hand in four total turnovers and broke up seven more passes. Kiser shined in any down-and-distance situation.

Kiser finished last season No. 2 on the team in tackles, 58 compared to Bertrand’s 82, but Kiser played far, far fewer snaps than Bertrand or No. 3 tackler Liufau did. Kiser also added 5.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks and a forced fumble.

2019: 4 games.2020: 11 games, 1 start; 20 tackles with three for loss and one interception and one pass broken up.2021: 13 games, 8 starts; 45 tackles with one for loss and two forced fumbles, two interceptions, two touchdowns and seven passes broken up.2022: 13 games, 13 starts; 58 tackles with 5.5 for loss and 2.5 sacks and one forced fumble.

NAME, IMAGE, LIKENESS

WHAT WAS PROJECTED A YEAR AGO
“The Irish enjoy linebacker depth these days, provided health. Kiser’s rise should emphasize that health among linebackers is not to be assumed. Behind Kiser, junior Jordan Botelho worked at Rover this spring in an endeavor to get him on the field more this year despite Notre Dame enjoying top-tier defensive ends. Botelho is too talented to not play more, and that may mean Kiser gives up some snaps, particularly on passing downs.

“That is not a bad thing. Depth is only a good thing.

“Kiser’s role will not go away. Botelho will offer a defensive wrinkle, not a replacement. A year of starts should be ahead of Kiser, and along with them 50 or so tackles. A pair of touchdowns may not be repeatable, but Kiser will be a notable piece of Golden’s approach.”

2023 OUTLOOK
The results speak for themselves. Kiser makes plays on a greater percentage of snaps he is involved in than any other Irish defender. To pull from Irish Illustrated’s Tim O’Malley at some point this winter, Kiser beat his blocker on 29.6 percent of his pass-rush snaps. He either got to the quarterback or influenced the pocket on 16.7 percent of them. (Apologies, Tim, the numbers were jotted down; the link was not. I should know better.)

Those numbers are absurd and unsustainable. For context, and still pulling from O’Malley, Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah won only 18.9 percent of his pass-rush snaps in 2020 and hassled the pocket on just 8.1 percent of them.

Again, Kiser’s rate was unsustainable. But give him more opportunities, and his total number of wins is almost certain to increase.

He does not only win on pass rushes. Kiser made tackles on a greater percentage of his snaps than any other 2022 Notre Dame defender.

Logically, Kiser should come off the field less often than any other Irish defender with the arguable exception of preseason All-American cornerback Benjamin Morrison. If defensive coordinator Al Golden agrees, then Kiser could leapfrog Bertrand to lead Notre Dame in tackles while also forcing a handful of turnovers. The lack of turnovers early in 2022 cost the Irish. A stronger start on that front may begin with Kiser.

DOWN THE ROAD
If (when?) Kiser is named a 2023 captain, the odds of him returning in 2024 will drop. He is the type of player, let alone an Indiana native, who will feel respected and vindicated by wearing a “C” on his chest, and understandably so.

Kiser will still have a year of eligibility remaining in 2024, but a sixth year in South Bend may be pushing it, especially since he will already be a three-year starter. To pull from last year’s thoughts, “But as the roster fills with the recruits (Marcus) Freeman is chasing, the odds of Kiser sticking around through 2024 diminish. Kiser most likely plays a typical college career of a three-star-turned-starter, working from a redshirt to a fifth-year defensive leadership position before trying to catch on in some summer workout sessions in the NFL.”

NOTRE DAME 99-TO-0
The summer countdown begins anew, Rylie Mills to Deion Colzie
No. 99 Rylie Mills, senior defensive tackle, moving back inside from end
No. 98 Devan Houstan, early-enrolled four-star defensive tackle
No. 97 Gabriel Rubio, junior defensive tackle, one of three Irish DTs with notable experience
No. 95 Tyson Ford, sophomore defensive tackle, up 30 pounds from a year ago
No. 93 Armel Mukam, incoming freshman defensive end, former Stanford commit
No. 92 Aidan Keanaaina, a senior defensive tackle now ‘fully healthy’ after a 2022 torn ACL
No. 91 Aiden Gobaira, sophomore defensive end, former four-star recruit
No. 88 Mitchell Evans, the next starter at ‘TE U
No. 87 Cooper Flanagan, incoming freshman tight end, four-star recruit
No. 84 Kevin Bauman, senior tight end coming off a torn ACL
No. 83 Jayden Thomas, junior receiver, probable No. 1 target in 2023
No. 79 Tosh Baker, senior tackle, again a backup but next year ...
No. 78 Pat Coogan, junior interior offensive lineman
No. 77 Ty Chan, sophomore offensive tackle, former four-star recruit
No. 76 Joe Alt, first-team All-American left tackle
No. 75 Sullivan Absher, incoming freshman offensive lineman
No. 74 Billy Schrauth, sophomore left guard, likely starter
No. 73 Andrew Kristofic, fifth-year right guard, likely starter
No. 72 Sam Pendelton, early-enrolled freshman offensive lineman
No. 70 Ashton Craig, sophomore interior offensive lineman
No. 68 Michael Carmody, senior offensive lineman
No. 65 Michael Vinson, sixth-year long snapper, four-year starter
No. 64 Joe Otting, incoming freshman offensive lineman, four-star recruit
No. 59 Aamil Wagner, sophomore offensive tackle
No. 56 Charles Jagusah, incoming freshman offensive lineman, four-star recruit
No. 56 Howard Cross, fifth-year defensive tackle, multi-year starter
No. 55 Chris Terek, incoming freshman offensive lineman, four-star recruit
No. 54 Blake Fisher, junior right tackle, second-year starter
No. 52 Zeke Correll, fifth-year center, third-year starter
No. 51 Boubacar Traore, incoming freshman defensive end, four-star recruit
No. 50 Rocco Spindler, junior offensive guard
No. 47 Jason Onye, junior defensive tackle on the verge of playing time
No. 44 Junior Tuihalamaka, sophomore defensive end, former linebacker
No. 42 Nolan Ziegler, sophomore linebacker, Irish legacy
No. 41 Donovan Hinish, sophomore defensive tackle following in his brother’s footsteps
No. 40 Joshua Burnham, sophomore linebacker-turned-Vyper end
No. 38 Davis Sherwood, junior fullback/H-back, former walk-on
No. 34 Drayk Bowen, early-enrolled freshman linebacker, baseball infielder
No. 32 Spencer Shrader, South Florida transfer kicker
No. 31 Nana Osafo-Mensah, fifth-year defensive end
No. 29 Christian Gray, early-enrolled freshman cornerback coming off a knee injury
No. 29 Matt Salerno, sixth-year receiver, former walk-on
No. 27 JD Bertrand, fifth-year linebacker, third-year starter, possible captain
No. 25 Preston Zinter, early-enrolled freshman linebacker, subtle recruiting win
No. 17 Brenan Vernon, incoming freshman defensive end, four-star recruit
No. 13 Holden Staes, sophomore tight end, up 20 pounds in a year
No. 12 Penn State RB transfer Devyn Ford gives Notre Dame newly-needed backfield depth, experience
No. 4 Rhode Island transfer safety Antonio Carter gives Notre Dame desperately needed backline depth

tweet to @d_farmer