When Jack Kiser takes the field for Notre Dame’s tenth game of the season, he will achieve a remarkable milestone by setting a program record that may never be surpassed. Like many athletes in college sports, Kiser has taken advantage of the additional year of eligibility granted by the NCAA due to the Covid pandemic.
This Saturday’s home game against Virginia will mark Kiser’s 63rd game as a Fighting Irish player, establishing a new program record. The Royal Center, Indiana native preserved his redshirt by participating in four games during his freshman year in 2019 and has since become a key player in the linebacker lineup over the last four years. Currently, Kiser leads the Irish with 49 tackles and is on track to surpass his career high of 62 from last season. Head coach Marcus Freeman, who was Kiser’s position coach in 2021 before taking on the head coaching role, expressed his admiration for Kiser’s development.
“Jack means a lot to me because he’s the only player in this program I coached directly in his position,” Freeman shared. “Witnessing his growth as a football player and leader throughout these four years has been incredible. He truly embodies what it means to be a Notre Dame man. Growing up in Indiana, he has really reached his full potential. Unquestionably, he’s been a tremendous leader, improving this program and ensuring he leaves it in a better state than he found it. This is a significant moment for him, filled with countless memories made at Notre Dame.”
In the defensive line, Notre Dame will also be missing veteran Howard Cross III due to an ankle injury sustained in last week’s game against Florida State. Cross has participated in 60 games himself. Donovan Hinish will step into Cross’s nose guard position, with Gabe Rubio likely seeing action as well, along with Rylie Mills at the 3-technique spot. Freeman hinted at additional players getting opportunities as well.
“We won’t be switching him to the Vyper end position,” Freeman joked about Rubio. “But you’ll certainly see Donnie Hinish again, as you have in recent weeks, along with more of Gabe Rubio. Gabe can fill either tackle position, and we may also see Sean Sevillano and Armel Mukam. All five of those players, including Rylie, have practiced excellently this week for the game, so there’s a strong chance we may see all of them.”
Regarding Benjamin Morrison, the junior cornerback’s season was cut short a month ago due to hip surgery, with his last appearance on October 12 against Stanford. Freeman provided an update on Morrison’s recovery.
“He’s doing well,” Freeman reported. “He’s recovering and walking without his brace now. He’s taken on a coaching role in the cornerback room and is really focused on his rehab. During our captain’s meeting on Monday, he seemed mentally and physically in a good place. While I’m not sure if he’s on schedule or ahead of it, he’s making great progress towards recovery and is looking to return to football activities.”
As for freshman cornerbacks Tae Johnson and Karson Hobbs, both enter this week’s game positioned at No. 2 on the depth chart behind Leonard Moore and Christian Gray respectively. Johnson made his debut last week against Florida State, contributing 13 snaps after recovering from a foot injury, while Hobbs played a career-high 16 snaps and has appeared in five games this season. He also serves as the backup nickel behind Jordan Clark.
“Both showed impressive skills in the Florida State game,” Freeman acknowledged. “Karson has been getting valuable reps due to recent injuries and is improving, while Tae is working to catch up mentally after missing significant time. They both possess unique skill sets that will contribute to our program, and they bring a lot of positive energy to the team. If the game allows them to play earlier, we’ll see, but they are both making consistent progress day by day.”
