Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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8 OCT. 29, 2022 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED UNDER THE DOME Jack Kiser Is A Jack-Of-All-Trades By Tyler Horka What's one of the most fundamental aspects of football? Tackling. Who was the second-highest graded tackler (86.1) on the Notre Dame roster through Week 7 according to Pro Football Focus? Senior linebacker Jack Kiser. I'm not going to base my entire answer on one number. But it's a little peek into the type of player Kiser is. Linebackers are asked to tackle perhaps more than any other position group. Kiser is the best at it among the Irish backers by a long shot; the next closest linebacker among Notre Dame's top three (Kiser and seniors Marist Liufau and JD Bertrand) per PFF's tackling grades is Liufau; he ranks 15th with a grade of 69.9. When Bertrand missed a half in two consecutive games because of targeting penalties, Kiser slid to the middle linebacker position and flourished. He ranked second on the team with 34 tackles through six games. Bertrand has 36 — in 58 more snaps. Kiser just has a knack for being in the right spot at the right time. Isn't that the name of the game for a defensive player? Just let the head coach say it for himself. "He's one of the most athletic linebackers we have," Marcus Freeman said. "That's why we played him a lot at rover, where you're playing him out in space. He can do so many different things, and what you're seeing now is him playing middle linebacker and getting everybody lined up, but also just executing at a high level, and we're gonna have a challenge. It's great." Isaiah Foskey Remains The Unit's Top Player By Todd D. Burlage It's understood that Notre Dame senior defensive end Isaiah Foskey isn't living up to his preseason All-America billing. After racking up the third-most sacks in a single-season in school history with 11 last season, Foskey entered this year with hopes of giving chase to Justin Tuck's record of 13.5 sacks set in 2003. With only 3 sacks through six games, Foskey ap- pears unlikely to eclipse Tuck's single-season mark of 13.5 this year (he also needs 6 more to match Tuck's career record of 24.5). But that shouldn't diminish how valuable Foskey has been to an Irish team that ranked a respectable 39th nationally in total defense (348.5 yards allowed) and 36th in scoring defense (22.0 points allowed) through Week 7. Foskey's sack total may not jump off the stat sheet. But because the pass-rush menace is commanding so much attention up front, the sack wealth has been spread around. And yet, Foskey still led an Irish defense that ranked 26th nationally in team sacks with 2.67 a game. Additionally, Foskey led Notre Dame with 4 quarterback hurries. He was also tied for the team lead with 4 tackles for loss, and was eighth with 23 total tackles. Given the pattern of finishing seasons strong, expect Foskey to save his best work for the stretch run to this season. It's what he does. There's no arguing that Foskey's production so far hasn't been what anyone — including himself — was expecting. But take him out of this defense, and it would become immediately and painfully obvious that he is still the catalyst and the MVP of this unit. Point ✦ Counterpoint: WHO HAS BEEN NOTRE DAME'S BEST DEFENSIVE PLAYER IN 2022? Nana Osafo-Mensah is the first to admit that his journey at Notre Dame hasn't stayed on script since arriving here as an early enrollee in Janu- ary 2019. Rated by On3 as a four-star defensive end and the nation's No. 14 high school edge player, Osafo-Mensah bided his time as an Irish fresh- man in 2019 with 2 games played and 1 tackle made. He hit a detour during fall camp in 2020, when a torn meniscus ended his sophomore sea- son before it began. Healthy but still rotating at a deep position group as a junior in 2021, Osafo-Mensah re- mained a situational reserve. Circumstances recently changed this season when because of injuries and attrition, an increased role opened. In perhaps his best game yet, Osafo-Mensah recorded 3 tackles (1 for loss) and a forced fumble while playing a career-high 46 snaps against Stan- ford Oct. 15. BGI: How satisfying was your breakout game against Stanford? Osafo-Mensah: "It's been a long journey for me personally, but I never had a doubt in my abilities and doubted what I could do. I was always re- membering who I'm with on the field. You never know when it could be your last play or your last opportunity. So, I always try to channel that time when I get the opportunity." BGI: How would you describe the challenge of needing more than three years to earn important game reps? Osafo-Mensah: "I wouldn't really call it tough times. It's just times that we are tested to see how much we really love football, and how much we re- ally love our brothers. I just took the time while not getting the reps to learn what they were doing." BGI: Your recruitment came down to Notre Dame and home-state Texas. How did you end up in South Bend? Osafo-Mensah: "I just really liked the people here. There was something different about the team dynamic and the way the school really wanted to have athletes meet other people, besides just other athletes. I've always been a person that's excited to meet random people. No matter who you are, I wanna know your story." BGI: You've already graduated; any plans on returning and playing next year? Osafo-Mensah: "Yes, I'm in a master's program right now and I want to finish it up in the spring. So, since I will already be here in the spring, I'll still be able to work out, do the offseason with the team, be a leader for the young guys coming in. Then, take that offseason, go into the summer, be a leader, come back next season and keep ball- ing with the guys I love." BGI: How would you describe your time at Notre Dame so far? Osafo-Mensah: "My time has been a crazy expe- rience. Ever since getting here early, to my injury, to playing with two different head coaches, it's been a roller coaster. But at the same time, I'm excited about what I've done so far because I really think it is going to prepare me for life after football." — Todd D. Burlage Five Questions With … SENIOR DEFENSIVE LINEMAN NANA OSAFO-MENSAH FOSKEY KISER Osafo-Mensah notched 3 tackles (1 for loss) and forced a fumble while playing a career-high 46 snaps vs. Stanford Oct. 15. PHOTO BY CHAD WEAVER