Set to return for Year No. 6 with Notre Dame football, 'Uncle Jack' Kiser stays forever young
EL PASO, Texas — Before deciding to return for a sixth season of Notre Dame football in 2024, linebacker Jack Kiser had a question for Sam Hartman.
“Was it weird being the old guy?” Kiser jokingly asked the graduate transfer quarterback from Wake Forest. “Because that’s going to be me. I’m going to be 24 (in September), and there’s going to be a 17-year-old a couple of lockers down.”
Hartman, who opted out of Friday’s Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl after making 57 career starts from 2018-23, assured Kiser the benefits of Year Six for him offset any awkwardness he might have encountered along the way.
Hartman told Kiser he wouldn’t change his decision even if he could.
Next, Kiser went to safety DJ Brown, one of three fill-in game captains for this third all-time meeting between Notre Dame and 19th-ranked Oregon State. Kiser asked him a similar question.
“Was it weird coming back?”
Brown, who will make his 59th and final game appearance this week for the Irish after debuting against Hartman and Wake Forest way back in 2018, shrugged off any concerns as well.
“Those conversations helped: ‘Did you regret coming back? Did you become a better football player? Did you develop more?’ “ Kiser said after a recent practice in South Bend. “DJ said he’d do it again.”
Even if the No. 4 all-time program leader in games played often found himself running downfield on kickoff coverage alongside freshmen Drayk Bowen and Luke Talich.
“It’s definitely a valuable thing to ask,” Kiser said. “And I think the social piece is really a big deal that you don’t think about: Am I going to still be meshed in the locker room the right way or am I going to be (an) outcast in a sense because you’re so old?”
When someone suggested Kiser, who already holds a master’s degree in business analytics, might serve as a “father figure” to his younger teammates next season, the 2018 IndyStar Mr. Football quickly pushed back.
“I prefer ‘Uncle,’ “ he said with a laugh. “That’s what’s neat about the locker room is it keeps you young. It keeps you 17 years old.”
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Once the pride of Royal Center got past the chronological hurdle of returning for season No. 6, he worked through the mental exercise of what he had to gain.
Unlike former Notre Dame defensive end Nana Osafo-Mensah, center Zeke Correll and wide receiver Chris Tyree, who will play next year as grad transfers at Texas Christian, N.C. State and Virginia, respectively, Kiser found little appeal in offering his services to another program.
Even amid the cha-ching of the name, image and likeness (NIL) era.
“I could’ve gone somewhere and probably been locked to get so much money and so much playing time and everything,” Kiser said. “But you know what? I wanted to stay here. I feel like there’s some things left for me to accomplish.
“I can’t really see myself at a different school taking other classes or in a different weight room that isn’t Notre Dame. Maybe that’s just the kind of person I am. I do understand when guys transfer out for their last year, but for me it wasn’t something that was ever in the cards.”
Along with second-team All-America Howard Cross III and fellow defensive tackle Rylie Mills, who announced their plans to return this month as well, Kiser will be part of a highly experienced trio in the heart of coordinator Al Golden’s Irish defense 3.0.
With team captains JD Bertrand and Cam Hart and multiyear starting linebacker Marist Liufau all headed for the NFL Draft, Kiser admittedly started to wonder, “Who am I going to hang out with that are older guys?”
“I wasn’t going to base my decision on what Howie and Rylie did,” Kiser said. “I made my decision, and then I saw that, yep, Howard’s confirmed he’s coming back. Yep, Rylie’s coming back. That’s a big deal. Linebacker is a very young room. I was extremely excited to hear that they were still in.”
Now if Kiser and Mills could just agree on the appropriate of level of upgrade for their living accommodations next season.
“Rylie has been pushing me to go bigger and better,” Kiser said, “and I’m like, ‘But we don’t really need a three-bedroom (apartment) for the two of us.’ We’ve discussed it. It was big news to hear Rylie was coming back — socially, to have another friend around, but also on the football field. He’s a big-time player.”
Jack Kiser is ready if needed to 'run the show'
Dubbed “Teach Tape” for his near-flawless fundamentals and ability to play all three linebacker spots, Kiser has ranked in the top three for overall efficiency on the Irish defense in each of the past three seasons. This year he ranks first with an 89.7 grade.
Over the past four seasons, the former Pioneer High School quarterback has averaged two missed tackles a year while ranking among the team’s most productive defenders on a per-snap basis.
“When I’ve gone in there, I’ve tried to make the most of my opportunities,” Kiser said. “I’m really excited if I can get the opportunity to consistently be on the field and run the show, be the vocal leader, be the energy giver and take command of the defense. I think next year that’s something I can show people I can do.”
About to play his 53rd career game at Notre Dame, Kiser could soar past Houston Griffith (62 games) for the program record if he goes the distance next season. Along the way, Kiser should get to contribute heavily to a talented defense as the Irish seek to end a three-year absence from the College Football Playoff.
Next year marks the debut of the 12-team playoff format, which means Notre Dame Stadium could be the site of a first-round playoff game in December.
“I think I can still become a better football player,” Kiser said. “I think that this team can do something really special, and I want to be a part of it.”
Mike Berardino covers Notre Dame football for NDInsider.com and is on social media @MikeBerardino.
This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Notre Dame football retains Jack Kiser's services for 2024
