'17 IL TE Cole Kmet (Notre Dame Signee)

ResLife Hero

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Tight End
Arlington Heights, IL (St. Viator)
4_3695500.jpg


Measurements

Height: 6'5"
Weight: 230


Rankings

Rivals: :s::s::s: 5.6 Rating, #5 IL, #10 TE
247: :s::s::s::s: 91 rating #5 IL, #4 TE, #214 Overall
Scout: :s::s::s::s: #3 TE, #171 Overall
ESPN: :s::s::s::s: 80 rating #3 IL, #3 TE, #202 Overall

247 Composite: :s::s::s::s: 0.9054 rating #3 IL, #6 TE, #243 Overall


Offers
Baylor
Illinois
Iowa
Kentucky
Louisville
Michigan
Michigan State
North Carolina
Northwestern
Notre Dame
Ohio State
South Carolina
Tennessee
Toledo
Vanderbilt
Wisconsin

Highlights:
Cole Kmet - Hudl
<iframe src='//www.hudl.com/embed/athlete/2933537/highlights/201586376' width='640' height='360' frameborder='0' allowfullscreen></iframe>
<iframe src='//www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/2933537/581f95dd11fa7f40b886bbf1' width='640' height='360' frameborder='0' allowfullscreen></iframe>
 
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ResLife Hero

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Blessed to have received an offer from Notre Dame <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GoIrish?src=hash">#GoIrish</a> <a href="http://t.co/bKCWhPEqZc">pic.twitter.com/bKCWhPEqZc</a></p>— Cole Kmet (@ColeKmet) <a href="https://twitter.com/ColeKmet/status/615551191494336512">June 29, 2015</a></blockquote>
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zelezo vlk

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The latest BGI podcast was complimentary of this kid.

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Chasey

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Sooooo...... even with the commit of Brock Wright they are still looking to take another tight end, i know we run multiple tight end sets but this is still interesting.
 

zelezo vlk

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Sooooo...... even with the commit of Brock Wright they are still looking to take another tight end, i know we run multiple tight end sets but this is still interesting.
Well Jones will be a rising junior by the time these kids get on campus. They very well may be needed to contribute in their sophomore year.

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arrowryan

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Sooooo...... even with the commit of Brock Wright they are still looking to take another tight end, i know we run multiple tight end sets but this is still interesting.

Well Jones will be a rising junior by the time these kids get on campus. They very well may be needed to contribute in their sophomore year.

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could be an insurance policy

Its probably because the staff is skipping a TE for the 2016 class
 

JD Irish

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I think it makes a ton of sense. If we are not taking a TE this year, then Wright in '17 makes one tight end in a two year period. Even though the TEs we are bringing in are of very high quality, it would be very unhealthy for the depth chart to have such a small number.

OFD had a good post breaking down Wright's commitment, and when discussing the depth chart and eligibility, though it was not really the point of the post, it really stood out to me how much not taking a TE in the 2016 cycle will have an impact:

"Wright will be a [true] freshman during Alize Jones's true junior - and possibly last - season in South Bend. Durham Smythe will be a redshirt senior, Nic Weishar will be a true senior with a year left, and Tyler Luatua will be a true senior in his last year of eligibility."

So with the current numbers, we are looking at Wright as the most experienced TE as a true sophomore/redshirt freshman, along with potentially Weishar if he stays for a fifth year. I do think Jones might be good enough to leave after 3 seasons. I definitely hope that we add another TE either in 2017 or 2016.
 

PANDFAN

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"They feel like both of us are good pieces to the puzzle and they're not going to offer any more 2017 tight ends," Kmet said. "They want both of us together and he said we would go in a lot of two tight end sets and be a good duo together."
247

Wright is fine with two TEs in the 2017 class--per loy
 

Chasey

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"They feel like both of us are good pieces to the puzzle and they're not going to offer any more 2017 tight ends," Kmet said. "They want both of us together and he said we would go in a lot of two tight end sets and be a good duo together."
247

Wright is fine with two TEs in the 2017 class--per loy

Thank you, that clears it up for me
 

Big23Head

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Scout: visiting July 30th. Coaches are stressing no 2016 TE and pairing him with Wright. Him and Wright have stayed in contact. Could commit anytime if its right.
 

ResLife Hero

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">2017 TE <a href="https://twitter.com/ColeKmet">@ColeKmet</a> Following Family Footsteps: Academics, not football is top priority <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NotreDame?src=hash">#NotreDame</a> (Free) <a href="http://t.co/de753GbLre">http://t.co/de753GbLre</a></p>— Irish Sports Daily (@ISDUpdate) <a href="https://twitter.com/ISDUpdate/status/626377233897123840">July 29, 2015</a></blockquote>
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Given Cole Kmet’s family background, many people assumed he’d be in the position he is now as a highly-regarded tight end prospect in the 2017 recruiting class, but for those closest to him – those responsible for some of the outside expectations – it was never a foregone conclusion.
“A lot of people think it’s automatic because I played football and his uncle played football,” Kmet’s father, Frank Kmet said.
To be clear, the elder Kmet and his brother-in-law, Jeff Zgonina, didn’t just play football, they played high-level college football at Purdue before playing in the NFL.
Still, as Frank Kmet said, “In my mind, it was never that way. You’ve got to fight for things, you never know what’s going to happen and you just have to go with it.”
A defensive lineman, Kmet was selected by the Buffalo Bills in the 1992 NFL Draft after his career with the Boilermakers.
“I had the (Joe) Theismann injury my senior year,” Frank Kmet said. “I kind of went from a first-rounder down to a fourth-rounder, which was still great, but I just couldn’t recover. I kind of went from defensive end to offensive line and kind of bounced around a little bit. I went from Buffalo to Green Bay to Chicago. My career was kind of said and done after that.”
Zgonina’s career was lengthier and he played 17 years as a defensive tackle for the Steelers, Panthers, Falcons, Rams, Colts, Dolphins and Texans.
Cole Kmet started making a name for himself as a pass-catcher for Saint Viator High School this past season and quickly shot from 6-foot-1 to 6-foot-5 in a matter of months.
“I saw him slam dunking a basketball, so I knew it was time I got him out there to everybody,” Frank Kmet explained.
So they hit the camp circuit and earned offers from Notre Dame and Ohio State to go with offers from schools like Baylor, Kentucky, Iowa and Northwestern. It didn’t take long for Kmet to begin trying to find ways to share the spotlight.
“When he first got the attention, he was excited, but he’s not really a big attention kid,” his father said. “They have a school of 1,000 kids and he’s happy with where he’s at.
“He knows the attention that comes along with this recruiting and he knows about the other kids putting in all of the other hard work. Not everybody is 6-5 and 230, but there are a lot of good football players. He felt, ‘Hey, if they’re coming to see me, they’re going to see you on tape too.’ He told everybody, ‘Play your best, you never know who’s watching.’”
That approach didn’t come as a surprise to those who know Kmet.
“We always knew he was a really good athlete,” Frank Kmet said. “He was on the higher end of things growing up. We always tell him that team comes first and we’ve stressed that with all of our kids. He’s got two other brothers and a sister and they’re all very competitive. We always told them team comes first. They understand that and they know that. He knows he’ll succeed if he has everybody else’s back and they’ve got his back.”
Athletics may be a central fraction of the Kmet family, but it isn’t the most important one.
“Our number one thing in our house is academics,” Frank Kmet said. “They know how long a football career is. My brother-in-law played 17 years, but that’s out of control. Nobody plays that long. Most people if you even get a shot, you’re playing one or two years. There’s just not a lot of longevity to it. It’s exciting; you meet a lot of people. A lot of opportunities happen because of it in that short period of time. But you have so much more to your life than the sport.
“You want to use the sport to your advantage. We really stress academics and what you want to do for the rest of your life. This is great. They know it’s fun and they want to make it last as long as possible, but they also know going into this, ‘I’m more than just a football player or an athlete. I have a lot more to me.’
“That’s why we really stress academics and doing things that are not just sports, whether it’s extra time helping people out or doing things at school that are extracurricular that have nothing to do with sports. We really want them to understand, ‘This is just an avenue you’re taking because you have the ability and you’re going to do your best, but it’s going to open so many more doors. You just want to be prepared for it.’”
Kmet and his family are appreciative of the options that have come his way already.
“We’re looking at the colleges and so far everybody who has approached Cole, there’s not a bad choice,” his father said. “They’re all great. Right now, he’s trying to look into studying business, that may change, but that’s what he’s looking at right now
“We told him, ‘You focus on your grades and work hard on the field and it’ll all come together. Your future is so bright.’ But again, it all does start in the classroom. If you don’t do what you need to in the classroom, you’re not getting on the field nowadays.”
ColeKmetND1Notre Dame is certainly one school that is appealing.
“When you look at the Notre Dames, the Northwesterns, the Ohio States, all of these schools, you’re looking at the academic side of things knowing there’s a future beyond football,” Frank Kmet said. “It’s exciting to our family. It’s exciting to Cole.
“All of the coaches have been stressing that it’s not a four-year deal, it’s a 40-year deal. Obviously Notre Dame stresses that. They kind of bring the whole package together for everybody when it comes to academics, football and life after. Notre Dame is a special place in that regard.”
Kmet and his father were in South Bend for Irish Invasion last month and will return on Thursday.
“We’re all going back as a family,” Frank Kmet said. “The Irish Invasion was great. We had a chance to really visit the campus and see it. My wife and my other children weren’t able to come, so they want to get down there and really visit it. What we want to try to do is get some relationships going. This has been happening really quickly for Cole.
“A lot of things have been coming at him. I just want to make sure he puts some roots together with some schools. I don’t want to say narrow his list right away, but at least build some relationships pretty quickly to know what he feels comfortable with. The wintertime will probably be the next shot he has to get down to places and see things, so he’ll at least have something established with these coaches.”
The family is also planning to make stops at Ohio State, Northwestern and Iowa this week before Kmet gets into his high school preseason next week. There’s no firm timetable for a decision, but one could come soon.
“It’s not a rush,” his father said. “If something felt right, he’s going to go with it. If it’s not and he’s not ready, he’s going to wait. It’s as easy as that.”
Frank Kmet wants his son to enjoy the process.
“Everybody has their opinions on everybody,” he said. “It can be a little rough at times, but for the most part everybody is looking out for your best interests to help you along. I told him to go with his gut, his heart and what he wants. They’re all great schools. They all have great academics. They all have great coaches. Nobody is throwing anything bad out there. To decipher what you want to do, you really have to go by your heart.”
Having gone through the process himself, Frank Kmet is enjoying it from a different perspective this time.
“I’m excited,” he said. “When I did this with my dad, I never really understood it until now that I’m in my dad’s shoes. I look at it and say, ‘Oh my God, it’s really unbelievable to have your son go through this.’
“Now that it’s happening, I’m very proud of him, not only for accomplishing what he’s accomplished with the football, but just how he’s acted throughout it and handling the responsibility that goes along with it. I’m really proud of him as a dad and obviously his mother is too.”
 
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Cackalacky

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Its probably because the staff is skipping a TE for the 2016 class

My thoughts exactly. It looks like 2016 class will be fine without a TE. We have 4 Legit TEs heading into 2016.


2013: Heurman, Smythe, Matuska (TE/DE)
2014: Luatua, Weishar
2015: Jones
 

arrowryan

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Kmet will be back on campus tomorrow with his whole family. A commitment during the visit is unlikely but he didn't rule it out. Brock Wright is recruiting him and wants them to play together in college. Distance is a big factor because he wants his family to come to his games and his grandparents don't fly so they will need to drive; he says that he's staying in the midwest. Per Loy

I think our next 2017 commits are Josh Lugg and this guy
 

GoIrish41

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Kmet will be back on campus tomorrow with his whole family. A commitment during the visit is unlikely but he didn't rule it out. Brock Wright is recruiting him and wants them to play together in college. Distance is a big factor because he wants his family to come to his games and his grandparents don't fly so they will need to drive; he says that he's staying in the midwest. Per Loy

I think our next 2017 commits are Josh Lugg and this guy

That would be ok by me.
 

ResLife Hero

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Irish247?src=hash">#Irish247</a> Video

Practice highlights of 4-star TE Cole Kmet, a top target for <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NotreDame?src=hash">#NotreDame</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/OSU?src=hash">#OSU</a> <a href="http://t.co/alg6TalRq2">http://t.co/alg6TalRq2</a> <a href="http://t.co/07tVOZlfUp">pic.twitter.com/07tVOZlfUp</a></p>— Tom Loy (@TomLoy247) <a href="https://twitter.com/TomLoy247/status/631828162284916738">August 13, 2015</a></blockquote>
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Big23Head

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Scout: Currently torn between ND/OSU, will visit ND for Texas game and OSU for PSU game. Wants to take his time and make the right choice.
 

Chasey

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Scout: Currently torn between ND/OSU, will visit ND for Texas game and OSU for PSU game. Wants to take his time and make the right choice.

I dont know how OSU could be a good choice they already have three tight ends commited this year. Yeah that seems like a good choice.
 

BeauBenken

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I dont know how OSU could be a good choice they already have three tight ends commited this year. Yeah that seems like a good choice.

We have Brock Wright in Kmet's class and just signed Alize Jones.
 

Veritate Duce Progredi

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I dont know how OSU could be a good choice they already have three tight ends commited this year. Yeah that seems like a good choice.

To be fair, ND has 4 TEs that should still be on the roster when he enrolls and two of them, including his classmate, will have been the #1 overall TE for their given year.
 

zelezo vlk

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To be fair, ND has 4 TEs that should still be on the roster when he enrolls and two of them, including his classmate, will have been the #1 overall TE for their given year.
Yes 4 TEs, but Alize will have the most eligibility as a true junior. Kmet may very well be expected to start his second year and at the very least will be contributing

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Chasey

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Yes 4 TEs, but Alize will have the most eligibility as a true junior. Kmet may very well be expected to start his second year and at the very least will be contributing

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I wonder if he is being told he will be the next Aaron Hernandez.
 

BobbyMac

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I honestly read that he said in an interview that Brock Wright would be the TE on the line while he would be the receiving TE. That struck me as odd. If he's sees himself as a receiving TE then I hope they skip him and grab Grant Carrigan from Bishop Gorman. I think the Irish are stocked with receiver first TE's.

Plus, I've read Carrigan is 6-7.5 and 255 right now and many believe he could become a tackle. He also has played for their nationally ranked basketball program which means he's going to have better footwork than most. There have been a lot of good tackles that have developed that way and he has a massive frame to hang that weight on.
 
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Cackalacky

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I hate your picture so much right now. Words can't describe the disdain I have for a man who uses a picture that throws off the formatting in a forum.

There are some website errors being fixed right now. Some of the default avatars are corrupted. It's being addressed. In the mean time the affected avatars should have been changed to one that works properly. It's definitely not his fault and there were others affected as well.
 
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