Cole Kmet Stands Out Against Georgia

Cole Kmet had the start of his 2019 season put on hold due to a collarbone injury he suffered in team camp, but his performance Saturday against Georgia showed shades of past Irish tight ends Kyle Rudolph and Tyler Eifert.

The Irish put together a strong effort in their 23-17 loss, and Kmet’s nine catches for 108 yards and a touchdown were a the bright spot on a field that was literally littered with gold.

The first thing that jumps off the page is his size. The junior tight end stands at 6-foot-5, 250 pounds and he physically looks the part of a NFL tight end. Kmet displays pretty solid speed and quickness for the position and already flashes the ability to use his big frame to his advantage at the catch point. Kmet also displays good quickness and fluidity as a route runner for his size.

He was able to provide stability in the underneath passing game early on, and he snagged a touchdown in the 2nd quarter that was actually intended for his teammate behind him.

Kmet sparked the vertical passing offense with a big pickup on a 2nd and 5 post in the 2nd, but a false start stalled the drive towards the end of the first half.

He acted as a security blanket for most of the second half with limited impact before providing a potential game-changing play when he secured a 31-yard catch on a seam route late in the 4th.

The Irish didn’t make much of an effort to establish the run, but Kmet flashed solid hand usage and play strength as a blocker in limited looks and this is an area to continue to monitor as he sees more time.

Kmet needs to continue to stay healthy in order to continue to rise up draft boards, but his stock is ascending after this performance. Kmet has a few tune-up games before he faces off against USC and Michigan during a two-game stretch in October.