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Kiser owns 249 career tackles and has played in 66-career games as a member of the Irish. He holds the all-time program record in career games played in an Irish uniform. He is a force in the community and in the classroom.

HONORS

  • 2024 Team Captain
  • 2024 National Football Foundation William V. Campbell Trophy Finalist
  • 2024 Wuerffel Trophy Finalist
  • 2024 Freddie Solomon Community Spirit Award Finalist
  • 2024 AFCA Allstate Good Works Team
  • Watchlist for 2025 Senior Bowl
  • 2024 National Football Foundation Honor Society
  • 2024 Butkus Award Watch List
  • 2024 Wuerffel Trophy Nominee
  • 2024 Allstate Good Works Team Nominee
  • 2023 CSC Academic All-District Team
  • 2023 Notre Dame Special Teams Player of the Year
  • 2023 Notre Dame Special Teams Player of the Game – at Duke, vs. Central Michigan
  • 2020 Notre Dame Game Ball – USF

COMMUNITY IMPACT

  • Kiser has led and participated in several community-facing initiatives during his time at Notre Dame. He has twice served as the player committee chairman for the program’s Cleats For a Cause initiative, which uses custom footwear to raise awareness for local nonprofits, then auctioning off the shoes with the proceeds benefiting the organizations. In his role, Kiser chaired the player committee, which selected the charities that were featured in the initiative, communicated directly with the charities and made appearances, and worked with the designer of the shoes. Throughout the months leading up to the initiative this season, he organized players to volunteer at and support charities that will benefit from the initiative.
  • He served as the Fighting Irish Fight for Life football team lead for the past three years, from Fall 2020-Spring 2023, a program which pairs a local pediatric patient with Notre Dame Athletics teams to become a true teammate. 
  • Additionally, Kiser worked with local low-income families to perform tax returns this past spring on a weekly basis leading up to Tax Day. He has also made an impact in his home community, as he visited his former youth football team to surprise local kids from his area, spend time with the team, and give them tickets to a Notre Dame Football game.
  • Kiser has also been involved in the Notre Dame chapter of Uplifting Athletes, supporting the local rare disease community and their families, and would also regularly visit patients and families at the Ronald McDonald House on home game Fridays with head football coach Marcus Freeman. 
  • Owning two Notre Dame degrees, Kiser is a force in the classroom. He achieved a 3.82 undergraduate GPA, majoring in business analytics, and a 3.97 GPA to earn his master’s degree in accountancy. He earned selection to the 2024 National Football Foundation Honor Society, and in 2023 was awarded the Dean’s Graduate Business Award and the Tom Frecka Academic Achievement Award, recognizing the top GPA in the Master’s of Science in Accountancy program at Notre Dame.

ACADEMICS

  • Owning two Notre Dame degrees, Kiser is a force in the classroom. He is one of two finalists for the Campbell Trophy who have already earned a master’s degree. He achieved a 3.82 undergraduate GPA, majoring in business analytics, and a 3.97 GPA to earn his master’s degree in accountancy. 
  • Following the 2023 football season, Kiser was named to the College Sports Communicators Academic All-District Team, recognizing his academic success paired with his athletic accomplishments. He was also named to the 2024 National Football Foundation Honor Society. Graduating in 2022, he continued his pursuit of academic rigor in the Master’s in Accountancy program, becoming the top-ranked student in the entire class. Kiser earned selection to the Dean’s List in Spring 2019, Fall 2019, Spring 2020, Fall 2020, Fall 2021 and Spring 2022. 
  • In May of 2023, Kiser was awarded the Dean’s Graduate Business Award, given to the student in each program, nominated by faculty, who demonstrates strong leadership amongst his/her classmates, shows promise for future professional success, and has a strong record of scholarship. He also earned the Tom Frecka Academic Achievement Award, recognizing the top GPA in the entire Master’s of Science in Accountancy program. 

2024

  • at TEXAS A&M (8/31): Started and made a big impact for the defensive efforts for the Irish in the win… led the team with eight tackles – four solo and four assisted – while helping limit the Aggies to 100 yards passing
  • NORTHERN ILLINOIS (9/7): Started and collected six tackles… four solo tackles, two assisted
  • at PURDUE (9/15): Started on defense for the Irish… had three solo tackles… surpassed 200 career tackles… added a quarterback hurry
  • MIAMI UNIVERSITY (9/22): Started on defense for the Irish in the win… collected five tackles – two solo and three assisted
  • LOUISVILLE (9/28): Started for the Irish in the win… collected three solo tackles
  • STANFORD (10/12): Started for the Irish in the win… collected four tackles – three solo, one assisted
  • at GEORGIA TECH (10/19): Started and competed in 60th game for the Irish… one of four players in program history to play in 60+ competitions… posted five tackles – two solo, three assisted… added a force fumble
  • at NAVY (10/26): Started on defense… shared team-high honors with nine total tackles… had five solo and four assisted… added a tackle for loss… posted first fumble recovery of career
  • FLORIDA STATE (11/9): Started at linebacker and led the team with six tackles in the 52-3 win.
  • VIRGINIA (11/16): Started and posted a sack, pass breakup and three tackles in the 35-14 win.
  • ARMY (11/23): Started and notched a tackle for loss, a fumble recovery and four total tackles.
  • at USC (11/30): Started and posted eight tackles with two QB hurries

2023

  • Played in all 13 games, making three starts as a consistent contributor on special teams as well as consistent playing time at linebacker. He finished third on the team with 62 tackles and tied for the team-lead with 41 solo tackles.
  • After the 2023 regular season, Notre Dame’s defense ranked first in the nation in team passing efficiency, second in red zone defense, fourth in passing yards allowed, sixth in kickoff returns and sixth in defensive TDs. ND scored touchdowns on a punt return, a muffed punt and a blocked field goal – all plays in which Kiser played a role
  • NAVY (8/26): Made his season debut against the Navy Midshipmen in Dublin, Ireland … Led the team with eight tackles, making six solo … Added a quarterback hurry in the win
  • TENNESSEE STATE (9/2): Recorded a pair of solo tackles
  • at NORTH CAROLINA STATE (9/9): Finished second on the team with six tackles in the victory, three solo
  • CENTRAL MICHIGAN (9/16): Made 10 tackles while starting at linebacker … Recorded one sack, dropping Central Michigan for a loss of 12 yards … Forced one fumble
  • OHIO STATE (9/23): Finished with a pair of assisted stops
  • at DUKE (9/30): Recorded two tackles, one solo
  • at LOUISVILLE (10/7): Stopped six Louisville plays … Five solo tackles
  • USC (10/14): Recorded five solo tackles in the victory
  • PITTSBURGH (10/28): Recorded two tackles, one solo
  • at CLEMSON (11/4): Led the team with nine tackles, seven solo
  • WAKE FOREST (11/18): Finished with four tackles, three solo
  • at STANFORD (11/25): Recorded three tackles, one solo … Intercepted a pass over the middle, returning it 25 yards to setup an Irish touchdown
  • OREGON STATE – TONY THE TIGER SUN BOWL (12/29): Finished with three tackles, one solo … Added a half sack, chasing down a scrambling OSU quarterback

2022

  • Finished second on the team with 58 total tackles, recording 28 solo. Played in all 13 games, making six starts. Was a key contributor on one of the top special teams units in the country, playing on punt, punt block and kickoff units. Added 5.5 TFLs during the year to go with 2.5 sacks. Added two quarterback hurries, a forced fumble and a blocked kick during the campaign.
  • MARSHALL (9/10): Finished with a career-best nine tackles; 1.5 tackles for loss; First career sack came for a loss of three yards.

2021

  • Played in all 13 games for the Irish, including eight starts; Placed seventh on the defense with 45 total tackles (26 unassisted); One of just two Irish players with multiple interceptions on the season; Became first Irish player with two defensive scores in the same season since Julian Love in 2017; Forced two fumbles, created five pass breakups and 2 QB hurries, and added one tackle for loss
  • WISCONSIN (9/25): Returned an interception 66 yards for a touchdown in the win for his second-career interception and first career touchdown; Recorded six solo tackles

2020

  • Played in 11 games on defense and special teams this season for the Irish, including his first career start against South Florida; Finished T-11th on the team with 20 total tackles, 16 solo, three TFLs and one interception
  • SOUTH FLORIDA (9/19): Led the team in tackles with eight (seven solo) in his first game action on defense and in his first-career start, also adding 2.0 TFL and one QBH to earn the game ball in the 52-0 win

2019

  • Played in four games — Louisville, New Mexico, Georgia and Virginia

PERSONAL

  • Earned a 3.815 undergraduate GPA in Business Analytics, and a 3.968 GPA in the Master’s in Accountancy program.
  • 2023 Dean’s Graduate Business Award winner. The award is given to the student in the program, nominated by faculty, who demonstrates strong leadership amongst his/her classmates, shows promise for future professional success, and has a strong record of scholarship.
  • 2023 Tom Frecka Academic Achievement Award winner, recognizing the top GPA in the Master’s of Science in Accountancy program
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