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Countdown to kickoff: Notre Dame vs. Ohio State only 84 days away

IMG_9992by:Tyler Horka•06/11/22•

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notre dame cole kmet
Cole Kmet was drafted in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

To preview one of the most anticipated games for Notre Dame this century and the official start of the Marcus Freeman era, BlueandGold.com is counting down the days to the matchup against Ohio State on Sept. 3.

This daily series of 99 stories celebrates by the numbers some of the most notable names, dates, moments and memories related to the past and present of Notre Dame football.

Today, we take a look at Cole Kmet, a late-blooming tight end who now plays for the Chicago Bears. Kmet donned No. 84 during his time with the Fighting Irish.

It took him a while, but once Cole Kmet broke out for Notre Dame he really broke out.

The tight end from Lake Barrington, Ill., caught two passes for 14 yards as a freshman. He caught 15 passes for 162 yards as a sophomore. As a junior, he went off for 43 catches, 515 yards and six touchdowns. Those statistics — and everything else he can do at the position — sent him to the next level after three years in college.

Kmet was selected by the Chicago Bears with the No. 43 overall pick in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft. He’s been a fixture for the Bears in his two years in the league. As a rookie, Kmet caught 28 passes for 243 yards and two touchdowns. Last season, he was targeted 93 times and reeled in 60 receptions for 612 yards.

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He’s been a fixture in the city of Chicago, period.

Earlier this week, the Bears took batting practice at Wrigley Field. Kmet put on a show in smashing a ball over the left field fence. His teammates went crazy. It’s only taken a coupe years for Kmet to liken himself to the locker room, just as he did at Notre Dame.

Kmet has always been where his feet are, always aware of the situation. When Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers screamed that he owns the Bears after a touchdown at Soldier Field last season, Kmet didn’t downplay the quote. He didn’t try to spin it.

“Let’s face it, he’s not totally wrong,” Kmet said. “It’s on us to change that narrative moving forward.”

If Kmet keeps in improving the way he did at Notre Dame and from his first to second year in the NFL, then he might have something to say about it.

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