Notre Dame graduate linebacker Jack Kiser and senior tight end Davis Sherwood have been named College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District honorees, recognizing the nation’s top student-athletes for their combined performances on the field and in the classroom
In addition, Kiser has been named a finalist for CSC Academic All-America honors and will be included on the national ballot. The CSC Academic All-America honorees will be announced on January 28, 2025.
Kiser, a team captain, was a finalist for the William V. Campbell Trophy, the Allstate Wuerffel Trophy and the Freddie Solomon Community Spirit Award, and has already been named to the 2024 AFCA Allstate Good Works Team. He earned Notre Dame’s team award for the program Man of the Year.
One of the most tenured players on Notre Dame’s roster and a team captain, Kiser is in his sixth season playing for the Irish and leads the linebacker room. He holds the record for most games ever played at Notre Dame (68).
Kiser owns 260 career tackles, 15 tackles for loss, six sacks, four interceptions (two pick-sixes), 11 passes defended, six forced fumbles and a blocked kick.
He leads the Irish in 2024 in tackles with 75 as a mainstay on defense and 12-game starter for Notre Dame. His 65 tackles in 2023 placed him third among Irish defenders and his 58 tackles in 2022 ranked him second on the team.
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 was 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.
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, and he served as the Fighting Irish Fight for Life football team lead for the past three years.
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.
Sherwood is a science-business major on a pre-dental path with an impressive 3.9 GPA. The tight end has played in 51-career games for Notre Dame, ranking tied for 17th all-time in Irish records.
He was named a 2024 Military Bowl STEM Scholar-Athlete, and has played a major role on special teams for the Irish in 2024. Notre Dame ranks eighth nationally in kickoff return defense (15.72). He played a role in a successful fake punt at Georgia Tech, completing a 14-yard pass on a fake punt to help the Irish convert the first down on the play.
Sherwood has amassed significant clinical experience in pursuit of a future career in dentistry, which he chose because of his ability to impact the well-being of a patient in a holistic way. He has assisted within his clinical hours in additional work with underserved populations and those who might not typically have affordable access to dental care, from preparing supplies for a team of dentists to take on service trips to working with local marginalized groups.
In addition to his work on the pre-dental path, Sherwood has taken part in extensive service work in the South Bend community. He has volunteered with the Boys & Girls Club, the Ronald McDonald House, the Logan Center and the local homeless shelter. With the Notre Dame Football program, he participates in Uplifting Athletes events, which benefit the local rare disease community through financial support and special experiences for patients. He also volunteers with Out of the Garden, a food insecurity project, and also has been an altar server at his home church. When he is back in his hometown, he volunteers at his former elementary and middle school as a coach for practices.