Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1535097
32 SUMMER 2025 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED stood out to Irish fans at the time, but it mattered a great deal. Kiser's performance stuck with Gladstone, who would interview for the Jacksonville Jaguars' general manager po- sition three weeks later. Dur- ing the interview process, he named a few potential Day 3 prospects he hoped to select if he got the job (and he did). Kiser was one of them. "To see somebody like Jack Kiser opt into 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," Gladstone said. "These are guys that love the game of football, regardless of if it might put them in a compromising position in the eyes of evaluators and decision-makers by playing too many snaps or playing out of position. "These guys love ball, and that's what we're hunting up." Kiser easily could have opted out of the Senior Bowl. Practice began just over a week after his season ended in the national championship game. No one would have blamed him. He would later say, though, that the quick turnaround was necessary. "I had a bad taste in my mouth and wanted to go play more ball," Kiser said at Notre Dame's pro day. "I got to wear the gold helmet a couple more times, which was special to me." Sounds about right. Kiser is known as "Mr. Notre Dame," because he's worn the gold helmet in more games than anyone else in program history. He might not have known it then, but that trip to the Senior Bowl was worth its weight in gold. Gladstone and the Jaguars didn't make Kiser wait long on Day 3, select- ing him in the fourth round less than 30 minutes into the broadcast. He became the No. 107 overall pick, adding to what Gladstone describes as Jacksonville's "intangibly rich" culture. "He's been the driving force and the brain power on that defensive side of the ball for Notre Dame," Gladstone said. "It's hard to find any negative comment when you talk to any sources about Jack Kiser." THREE IRISH SELECTED IN ROUNDS FIVE AND SIX Rylie Mills was playing his best foot- ball late in the 2024 season. He extended his career high in sacks to 7.5 in the first round of the College Football Playoff against Indiana. On that same play, he tore his ACL. Football can be cruel sometimes. Not only did the injury cost the star defen- sive tackle a chance to play in the Sugar Bowl, Orange Bowl and national title game, it likely hurt his draft stock. But on his top-30 visit to the Seattle Se- ahawks, team physicians gave the front office the green light. Seattle selected him in the fifth round (No. 142 overall). "They plan to use my versatility," Mills said. "I'm a big defensive tackle, but I can play a little bit of end. I can play all over. I'll do whatever I have to do." Twenty-one picks later, the Carolina Panthers took tight end Mitchell Evans. He'll compete for snaps be- hind another former Notre Da m e p l aye r i n To m my Tremble. Evans was also affected by a torn ACL (and MCL), late in the 2023 season. In the midst of his breakout year, Evans blew out his knee and didn't return to his pre-injury form until midway through 2024. When he did, Evans was a weapon for the Irish, catching 9 passes for 110 yards in his final two games. He believes he can do the same in Carolina. "I was just working back to get on the field, so I could help contribute to the team," Evans said. "I feel like as the season went on, I got better, got more confident. … I truly feel like I'm better than I was before." Finally, Riley Leonard became the ninth quarterback off the board when the Indianapolis Colts drafted him in the sixth round (No. 189 overall). He suspected that's where he'd end up, with Colts head coach Shane Steichen attending his pro day in late March. "Throughout this whole process, there is no place I would rather be than back in Indiana," Leonard said. "Even when I was at the combine in India- napolis, it kind of just felt like home." ✦ FIGHTING IRISH HEADED TO NFL Player, Pos. Draft Pick (Round) Team Benjamin Morrison, CB 53 (second) Tampa Bay Buccaneers Xavier Watts, S 96 (third) Atlanta Falcons Jack Kiser, LB 107 (fourth) Jacksonville Jaguars Rylie Mills, DT 142 (fifth) Seattle Seahawks Mitchell Evans, TE 163 (fifth) Carolina Panthers Riley Leonard, QB 189 (sixth) Indianapolis Colts UNDRAFTED FREE AGENTS Player, Pos. Team Jordan Clark, CB New York Jets Beaux Collins, WR New York Giants Howard Cross III, DT Cincinnati Bengals Despite suffering a torn ACL in the College Football Playoff versus Indiana in December, defensive tackle Rylie Mills was taken by Seattle with the 142nd pick in the fifth round. PHOTO COURTESY NOTRE DAME Mitchell Evans aims to continue Notre Dame's "Tight End U" legacy after being picked 163rd overall in the fifth round by Carolina. PHOTO COURTESY NOTRE DAME