It feels like a lifetime ago.
September 12, 2015. Charlottesville, Virginia. Malik Zaire, the dual-threat savior who was supposed to lead the Fighting Irish back to the promised land, goes down with a fractured ankle. The season felt dead in the water. Then, this redshirt freshman with a massive frame and a cannon for an arm trots onto the field.
DeShone Kizer didn't just play; he survived. And then he thrived. With 12 seconds left on the clock and Notre Dame trailing, he launched a 39-yard rainbow to Will Fuller that hit him perfectly in stride. Touchdown. Game over.
Suddenly, everyone was asking: Who is this kid?
The 2015 Magic and the Rise of a Star
Honestly, the 2015 season was a blur of high-octane highlights. Kizer wasn't even supposed to see the field that year. He was sitting third on the depth chart behind Everett Golson and Zaire during the spring. But Golson transferred, Zaire got hurt, and Kizer basically took the steering wheel of a Ferrari and refused to crash it.
👉 See also: Betting Odds for Masters Golf: What the Public Usually Gets Wrong
He ended that year with 2,884 passing yards and 21 touchdowns. But it was his legs that really messed with defensive coordinators. He ran for 520 yards and 10 touchdowns—a school record for a quarterback at the time. He was 6'4", 230 pounds, and moved like a guy twenty pounds lighter. You've got to remember the hype. We were looking at a guy who seemed like the perfect blend of Ben Roethlisberger’s size and a legitimate track athlete's speed.
There were games where he looked untouchable. Against Temple, he rushed for 143 yards, including a 79-yarder that made him look like a gazelle. Then he went to Pittsburgh and tossed five touchdowns. By the time the Fiesta Bowl against Ohio State rolled around, NFL scouts weren't just watching him—they were salivating.
Why the 2016 Season Felt Different
Sports are weird. One year you're the hero who saved the season, and the next, you're the face of a 4-8 disaster. That was the 2016 DeShone Kizer Notre Dame experience.
On paper, his stats were actually better in 2016. He threw for 2,925 yards and 26 touchdowns. He accounted for 34 total scores. But the "vibe" was off. The team couldn't close games. They lost a 50-47 double-overtime heartbreaker to Texas to start the year. They lost to Duke at home. They lost to NC State in a literal hurricane where Brian Kelly, for some reason, had Kizer throw the ball 26 times in a monsoon.
People started pointing fingers. Brian Kelly was publicly critical of his quarterback’s "mental toughness." Kizer looked hesitant. He started holding the ball too long, trying to make the "perfect" play instead of the "right" play. You could see the confidence draining out of him in real-time.
The Brian Kelly Factor
We have to talk about the relationship between Kizer and his head coach. It was... complicated. Kelly is known for being hard on quarterbacks, but with Kizer, it felt personal at times.
When Kizer decided to declare for the NFL Draft after his junior year, Kelly didn't give him the standard "he's ready for the next level" endorsement. Instead, he told the media that Kizer "should still be in college" and that he wasn't ready for the "day-to-day grind" of the NFL. That's a massive red flag for NFL GMs. Whether Kelly was being honest or just frustrated that he was losing his best player, it hurt Kizer's stock.
The NFL Draft and the Cleveland "Curse"
Despite the 4-8 record and the coach's comments, Kizer was still a second-round pick, going 52nd overall to the Cleveland Browns in 2017.
At the time, Kizer famously said he had the "body of Cam Newton and the mind of Tom Brady." It was a quote that followed him everywhere. It showed he had confidence, sure, but it also put a massive target on his back.
📖 Related: George Pickens One Handed Catch: Why It’s Still the Gold Standard for NFL Receivers
The Cleveland situation was a nightmare. He was a 21-year-old kid thrust into a starting role on a roster that was arguably one of the worst in NFL history. He went 0-15 as a starter. He led the league in interceptions with 22. It wasn't just that he was losing; he was being broken.
He eventually bounced around to the Packers, Raiders, and Titans, but he never regained that 2015 Notre Dame magic.
What Most People Get Wrong About His Legacy
Most fans remember Kizer as an NFL "bust," but that's a narrow way to look at it. If you look at his time in South Bend, he remains one of the most productive quarterbacks to ever wear the gold helmet.
- He's in the top 10 for nearly 20 different offensive categories at Notre Dame.
- He kept a 2015 team afloat that was decimated by injuries.
- He possessed a raw physical toolkit that very few Irish QBs have ever matched.
The "what if" is always there. What if he stayed for his senior year? What if he was drafted by a stable franchise like the Steelers or Saints instead of the 2017 Browns?
Where is DeShone Kizer Now?
He’s mostly moved on from the gridiron. While he hasn't officially "retired" in a formal press conference, he hasn't been on an active roster in years. Instead, he’s pivoted to the business world, specifically in the tech and NFT space. He’s also been vocal about the mental health struggles that come with the high-pressure world of elite football. It's a reminder that these guys are humans, not just stats on a screen.
💡 You might also like: Oregon Ducks Men's Basketball: What the National Media Keeps Missing
Actionable Insights for Fans and Students of the Game
If you're looking back at Kizer’s career to understand how talent translates from college to the pros, here are a few things to keep in mind:
- Context is King: A quarterback’s win-loss record often reflects the defense and coaching more than their individual talent. Notre Dame’s 2016 defense was a sieve, which forced Kizer to overplay his hand.
- The "Early Entry" Trap: Staying that extra year in college isn't just about stats; it’s about emotional and mental maturity. Kizer’s "lack of readiness" wasn't about his arm—it was about his ability to handle the professional grind.
- Scheme Fit: Kizer excelled in a vertical, dual-threat system. When he was asked to be a pure pocket passer in the NFL without a supporting cast, his mechanics crumbled.
To really understand Kizer’s impact, go back and watch the 2015 Virginia or Temple games. That was the peak. That was the version of DeShone Kizer that made Notre Dame fans believe anything was possible. It didn't end with a Super Bowl, but for two years, he was one of the most electrifying players in the country.
Check out the official Notre Dame Athletics archives to see where his records still stand today compared to recent guys like Ian Book or Sam Hartman. You'll find that his peak performance numbers are still incredibly hard to beat.