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USA Today
2 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Pro Football Focus lauds Notre Dame's linebacker unit
AI-assisted summary Pro Football Focus ranks Notre Dame's 2025 linebackers as the fifth-best unit in the nation. Is Notre Dame suddenly becoming Linebacker U? Pro Football Focus is very high on the 2025 group, ranking the Fighting Irish 'backers as the fifth-best unit in the nation ahead of the new season. Despite losing veteran Jack Kiser, junior Drayk Bowen is back. Per PFF's wins above average metric, no returning FBS linebacker was more valuable than him last year. The Indiana native finished with 78 tackles and three forced fumbles in 2024. He should be one of the nation's best Mike 'backers this fall. Also back is Jaylen Sneed, a redshirt junior who had six tackles for loss and earned a 70.8 grade on 433 snaps in 2024. Jaiden Ausberry played over 400 snaps, earning a 69.6 run-defense grade, and had 6.5 tackles for loss. And there are high expectations for true sophomore Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa, who earned a 67.6 PFF grade on 343 snaps as a freshman after being the No. 4 linebacker in the 2024 high school class. He earned Freshman All-America honors after registering 37 tackles (2.5 tackles for loss). He will likely back up Bowen or compete for the starting Will spot. Certainly there is a lot to like when it comes to the linebacker corps in South Bend. Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on X (Formerly Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes, and opinions. Follow Dave on X: Miller_Dave
USA Today
23-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
5 Things to know about Jacksonville Jaguars' fourth-round pick LB Jack Kiser
5 Things to know about Jacksonville Jaguars' fourth-round pick LB Jack Kiser Here are five things to know about LB Jack Kiser, the Jacksonville Jaguars' fourth-round pick. In the fourth round of the 2025 NFL draft, the Jacksonville Jaguars selected Notre Dame linebacker Jack Kiser. The addition of Kiser will add more physicality and depth at linebacker, along with providing special teams help as well. Let's take a closer look at this selection with five things to know about Kiser. A very reliable tackler Kiser hasn't just been a sound tackler in his career; he's been excellent in that regard. Over six seasons, which spanned 1,862 defensive snaps, Kiser has a missed tackle rate of just 4.6%, according to PFF. For some context, anything under 10% is a good rate. As you can imagine, he's been one of PFF's highest-graded tacklers at the linebacker position, and this quality has, of course, served him well in the run game. In 2024, Kiser ranked 15th in PFF's run defense grade and had the 10th most tackles in the run game as well. "Many [players] are tapping out before they ever get to the game," James Gladstone said of the Senior Bowl. "To see somebody like Jack Kiser opt in to playing a position like safety when he is, in fact, an inside linebacker, when that could make him look worse than he would like, but was productive in that setting." A team captain and very experienced player As mentioned, Kiser spent six seasons at Notre Dame, and during that span, he appeared in 70 games, which is a school record. This included playing 1,862 snaps on defense and another 975 on special teams. Along with that experience, Kiser was named a team captain in 2024 and was named the Notre Dame Man of the Year. Kiser very much fits that "intangibly rich" mold that the Jaguars are searching for. "He is a problem solver," said Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman. "The ability for him to communicate and get other people lined up and tell somebody what's happening is tremendous." A lot of time on special teams As just alluded to, Kiser saw a lot of playing time on special teams with 975 career snaps. In fact, you probably won't find many more players in the NFL draft with more experience than him. Of the six different special teams phases, Kiser regularly played on five of them. The one unit where he didn't see snaps was on the field goal kicking team. By PFF's metrics, Kiser also graded out well on special teams. Right away, he has the potential to play 250-plus special teams snaps for the Jaguars and be a core member of that unit. Jack Kiser's scouting report Lance Zierlein: "Sixth-year senior with good football intelligence and immediate four-phase special teams value. Kiser will be a 25-year-old rookie in September, with average physical attributes, but he's productive and consistent. He understands his limitations and works around them with instincts and positioning, but a lack of speed and length will create smaller margins for error as a pro. He struggles to take on and get off blocks, so he'll have to take a few more chances moving forward. Kiser's ability to play on third down and special teams boosts his chances of becoming a backup inside linebacker." Jack Kiser's RAS card
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Nearly 2,000 Jaguars fans gather to watch Travis Hunter at Rookie Minicamp
Nearly two thousand fans threw on their Jaguars gear Saturday and headed out to the Miller Electric Center as the team held an open practice for day two of Rookie Minicamp. It's the closest thing to Jaguars football since the season ended back in January, so fans were eager to see some action on the gridiron. Advertisement Excitement rose especially when that action came from the Jaguars' number two overall draft pick, Travis Hunter. Roars erupted from the crowd any time number 12 touched the ball. Photo: Jacksonville Jaguars Travis Hunter practices on day 2 of Rookie Minicamp The unicorn of the NFL was in a teal practice jersey Saturday, getting more reps on the offensive side of the ball before moving to the defensive side at some point next week, according to Head Coach Liam Coen. After practice, Hunter spoke with the media about his first few days in the NFL. Watch the full conference captured by our Action Sports Jax team: Head Coach Coen said several other rookies stood out during training camp. Advertisement 'Jack Kiser first and foremost on the defensive side of the ball, just from a diligent standpoint, you could tell he's already had some of those leadership qualities that you look for,' said Coen. He also gave special shout-outs to Caleb Ransaw and Wyatt Milam. [DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks] [SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter] Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live.
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Could Jack Kiser become the Jaguars' linebacker of the future?
I'm not sure there's a player in this year's NFL Draft that checks the 'intangibly rich' box better than Jack Kiser. It's of no surprise that Jaguars' GM James Gladstone pulled the trigger on Notre Dame's Mike linebacker. Team Captain? Check. Academic All-American? Check. Notre Dame's Special Teams Player of the Year? Check. National Championship appearance? Check. Advertisement If that's not enough, Kiser also set the school record for most games played (70). Over his collegiate career, Kiser totaled 275 tackles, 17 tackles for loss, six sacks, four interceptions, and six forced fumbles. >>> STREAM ACTION SPORTS JAX 24/7 LIVE <<< For further context, two of his interceptions turned out to be pick-sixes. According to Pro Football Focus, Kiser was solid in coverage. He allowed just a 66.7% completion rate, scoring within the 87th percentile among FBS linebackers. He also happens to be a pretty good athlete, scoring a 7.68 RAS. It's his experience, tackling, and versatility that are most intriguing, at least at this moment in time. Advertisement Kiser, 24, has played a lot of ball and helped lead his team to a National Championship appearance. One of the reasons he's been so effective at linebacker is his tackling. Since 2019, only one linebacker has a lower career missed tackle rate than Kiser. Last season, Kiser ranked fifth among 236 FBS linebackers in missed tackle rate (4.6%). [DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks] If potentially paired with Devin Lloyd one day, the Jaguars would have two of the surest tacklers in the National Football League. For now, Kiser likely competes for a spot on special teams, something he's had a lot of experience with. Advertisement Kiser saw nearly 1,000 snaps on special teams in college. It's for this reason that he was named Notre Dame's Special Teams Player of the Year in 2023. It's doubtful Kiser sees much playing time in 2025 as Foye Oluokun and Lloyd are set to return as the Jaguars' starting linebackers, however, the opportunity is always there if an injury or two were to occur. At the very least, however, Kiser should find himself a spot on Special Teams with his eyes set to replace either Oluokun or Lloyd in the coming years. Lloyd is set to hit Free Agency at the conclusion of the 2025 season and Oluokun could be a cap casualty with his nearly $17 million cap hit. Jack Kiser might just be the Jaguars linebacker of the future. Advertisement [SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter] Click here to download the free Action News Jax apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action Sports Jax 24/7 live.
USA Today
02-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Breaking down Jacksonville Jaguars' fourth-round pick: LB Jack Kiser
Breaking down Jacksonville Jaguars' fourth-round pick: LB Jack Kiser In the fourth round of the 2025 NFL draft, the Jacksonville Jaguars selected Notre Dame linebacker Jack Kiser. Let's break down the pick. In the fourth round of the 2025 NFL draft, the Jacksonville Jaguars selected Notre Dame linebacker Jack Kiser. Let's break down the pick, and if you missed our other recaps, you can find them below. Jack Kiser's profile Height: 6-015 Weight: 231 Age: 24 College profile Breaking down the Jacksonville Jaguars' pick Kiser spent six seasons at Notre Dame, which included being a rotational defender for three years from 2021 through 2023 and then becoming a starter in 2024, where he was also a team captain. Throughout his career, Kiser has shown to be a very reliable tackler, missing only 4.6% of his career attempts. For some context, anything under 10% with that sample size is considered quite good. This, in turn, helped make him a reliable run defender. Among qualified linebackers in 2024, Kiser ranked 15th in PFF's run defense grade and had the 10th most tackles in the run game as well. We also saw Kiser find some success as a blitzer, totaling 18 pressures last season. In coverage, Kiser can operate in space and has allowed a completion rate of 67% this past year, with his tackling ability helping to limit YAC opportunities for pass catchers. He has one interception and two pass breakups over the last two seasons. With the Jaguars having an established linebacker room, Kiser doesn't have to step in and start right away. Perhaps he can carve out a situational role, but his biggest impact as a rookie could come on special teams, where he has nearly 1,000 career snaps at Notre Dame. Jack Kiser's scouting report Lance Zierlein: "Sixth-year senior with good football intelligence and immediate four-phase special teams value. Kiser will be a 25-year-old rookie in September, with average physical attributes, but he's productive and consistent. He understands his limitations and works around them with instincts and positioning, but a lack of speed and length will create smaller margins for error as a pro. He struggles to take on and get off blocks, so he'll have to take a few more chances moving forward. Kiser's ability to play on third down and special teams boosts his chances of becoming a backup inside linebacker." They said it James Gladstone: "Many [players] are tapping out before they ever get to the game," Gladstone said of the Senior Bowl. "To see somebody like Jack Kiser opt in to playing a position like safety when he is, in fact, an inside linebacker, when that could make him look worse than he would like, but was productive in that setting." Jack Kiser's RAS card Highlights
