Source: Notre Dame rover Jack Kiser to miss spring football following shoulder surgery
Notre Dame early enrolled freshman Jack Kiser underwent surgery on his partially torn left labrum earlier this month and is expected to miss all of spring football, a source close to the situation told the Tribune.
Kiser is in the process of rehabbing from the Feb. 7 surgery, and will continue to intermittently wear a sling over the next four weeks. The 6-foot-1, 200-pounder is expected to be 100 percent by fall camp, if not before.
The nature of when and how Kiser suffered the injury is unknown. The Royal Center (Ind.) Pioneer High product felt soreness in the left shoulder before he arrived at Notre Dame. After joining the team in mid-January, Kiser underwent a physical exam that prompted ND’s medical staff to evaluate his shoulder via MRI.
The MRI results, which came on Feb. 2, revealed a partial tear. The Irish staff and Kiser then agreed that surgery would nip the labral tear in the bud. Kiser remained an unrestricted full participant in ND’s workouts until the planned surgery, because there was no perceived risk in the workouts alone. Contact via spring football would have risked further injury.
The Irish start spring practice on March 2 and conclude the 15 sessions with the annual Blue-Gold Game April 13 at Notre Dame Stadium.
Kiser had been in line to be one of three players working at the rover position during spring football, the source said. Sophomore Shayne Simon and junior Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah are the other two rovers, while Asmar Bilal, the 2018 starter at rover, is in line to compete at buck linebacker.
As the 2018 Indiana Mr. Football winner, Kiser joined ND as one of its most accomplished 2019 signees. He helped bring Pioneer two state titles and registered 159 tackles, 8.5 tackles for a loss, seven interceptions, nine pass breakups, six forced fumbles, five fumble recoveries and two defensive touchdowns as a senior.
247Sports rated Kiser as a four-star recruit, ranking him as its No. 13 outside linebacker and No. 191 prospect nationally overall. Rivals tagged Kiser as a three-star recruit, placing him as its No. 37 outside linebacker.
