Notre Dame thought its field goal kicking operation solidified with the addition of transfer Mitch Jeter, and they were right. They did. Then Jeter got hurt, and since then, even with Jeter returning to action in what appears to be a limited role, the Irish have a kicking problem on their hands. Without any official confirmation from the University or head coach Marcus Freeman yet, it seems pretty apparent that Jeter isn’t 100% yet. In his absence, the Irish are struggling to find a solution.
Mitch Jeter started 2024 with one of the best performances we’ve seen from a Notre Dame kicker in a while. The South Carolina transfer was 3 for 3 on field goals inside Kyle Field in the season opener, including a pressure-packed 46-yarder with 30 seconds left that sealed the game. A miss in that spot and A&M would have had the ball with excellent field position down just eight points. He didn’t miss, though, and the game was over. His performance a week later against Northern Illinois wasn’t as inspiring, with a critical miss in a two-point loss, but hardly anyone in a gold helmet was impressive that day.
Notre Dame hasn’t needed Jeter, or any kicker, in a critical moment since, but that could very well change should the Irish make the playoffs, as it appears they will with two more wins to close out the season. That could be a problem since Notre Dame as a team is just 3 for 8 on field goal attempts since Jeter was injured before the Georgia Tech game. Jeter missed that game and the Navy contest but returned for the Florida State game. He was 1 of 2 with a miss from 42 yards in his return.
With Jeter out at times and limited others, the Irish have tried walkons Zac Yoakam and Marcello Diomede but haven’t found anyone who can consistently connect on midrange field goals, let alone long attempts. Jeter did kick extra points in yesterday’s win over Virginia, but his kicks didn’t have much muster on them. Yoakam attempted a 36-yarder that missed badly, while the Irish tried Diomede on a 54-yarder at the end of the first half that was so wide right it almost left the playing field.
Freeman almost never addresses injuries after a game unless they are major, so it’s not surprising that he didn’t mention Jeter in the post-game presser. However, if Jeter isn’t on the official injury report tomorrow, he is bound to get some questions about where Jeter is at in his recovery.
There is still more than a month remaining until the playoffs begin on December 20 and 21. At this point, it might be wise to shut Jeter down for the final two weeks and hope to have him close to 100% for the postseason. Notre Dame shouldn’t need him to handle Army next weekend or a really bad USC team to end the season. In that scenario, anything over 40 yards would likely be off the table in favor of going for it on 4th down most of the time. That seemed to be Freeman’s plan in the second half of yesterday’s contest, even before the miss from 36 yards out.
In recent years, Notre Dame has been pretty successful with transfer kickers such as Blake Grupe and Spencer Schrader. It looked like Jeter would continue that tradition until injuries derailed his season. For the sake of Notre Dame’s postseason chances, getting him back close to full strength by the middle of December should be one of the highest priorities for the Irish.
If his hamstrings are the problem, that is HUGE for a kicker, and could linger for the remainder of his career, whether that means only here at ND, or in the pros. I have no idea what rehab he is doing, BUT there is no question that hamstring injuries are ever more frequent and prominent in FB, at all levels. Were I he, I would look deeply into Tom Brady’s book, “TB 12,” and follow his regimen, which stresses the importance of muscle pliability in the maintenance of strength, power, flexibility and recuperation. It is an equal partner to weight lifting nutrition and rest, in all those areas. It is what allowed him high level NFL QB play well into his 40’s, career duration previously unheard of.