After Notre Dame football’s defense received a boost on Sunday with Howard Cross III’s decision to return for 2024, the Irish Irish got more good news from a defensive veteran on Wednesday.
Linebacker Jack Kiser announced on his Twitter/X account that he plans to use his sixth season of eligibility and return to head coach Marcus Freeman’s squad next season.
The 6-foot-1, 232-pound Kiser was a starter for the Irish this season and totaled 59 tackles, including 40 solo. He also had two pass breakups and one interception.
Kiser made up an experienced position group for defensive coordinator Al Golden alongside Marist Liufau and JD Bertrand, both of whom have accepted NFL Draft All-Star Game invitations. Liufau has officially declared for the draft and will not play in the Sun Bowl against No. 19 Oregon State on Dec. 29.
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Kiser has appeared in 52 games over his five-year Notre Dame career and has 182 total tackles in that span, including 10.5 for loss. He also has forced four fumbles while recording four interceptions and amassing 3.5 sacks.
The former Indiana Mr. Football winner out of Royal Center (Ind.) Pioneer signed with the Irish as a three-star prospect in the 2019 recruiting class. Since emerging on defense in 2021, Kiser has been a staple at the second level of Notre Dame’s defense due to his versatility in stopping the run and pass.
According to Pro Football Focus, Kiser logged 327 snaps for the Irish this season. He received an 89.9 defensive grade, 85.5 run defensive grade and 89.1 pass coverage from PFF, all of which ranked first on Notre Dame for players with over 100 snaps played.
After Kiser’s decision, all eyes regarding Notre Dame’s defense next season are on safety Xavier Watts. He is NFL-eligible but has not made any decision regarding the NFL Draft, although he confirmed he’ll be playing in the Sun Bowl after receiving the 2023 Bronko Nagurski Trophy.
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