Now that Spring ball is winding down, and all the recruits are signed, we can turn the page and look forward to the 2021 season. First note: for all of those who thought a kid from a 1A school in Indiana had no business on the roster of a powerhouse D1 program like ND, here’s the assessment of Pioneer’s Jack Kiser heading into the season:
Some wondered what Clark Lea was thinking when he zeroed in on this Single A high school quarterback/linebacker out of small-town Indiana. But in addition to leading Pioneer High School (enrollment 444) in the town of Royal Center (population 833) to a 15-0 record and a state championship his senior season, Kiser proved himself to be a savvy, gifted athlete whose humble beginnings did indeed translate to big-time college football at Notre Dame. After a transition year as a freshman in ’19, he served as a backup Buck linebacker in ’20. He stepped into the starting lineup against South Florida and excelled. Now, under Marcus Freeman, he is showing quite well at Rover this spring. If there’s a football and Kiser is on the field with said football, he’ll be around it. He looks like a three-year starter from 2021-23. (Emphasis supplied)