Five-star recruits are rare at Notre Dame. Well, to be more precise, they are rare in general, and their general lack of availability in Illinois, Indiana and western Ohio makes it more difficult for the Irish to land them than programs in the Southeast or California.
Enter five-star linebacker Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa out of a Los Angeles suburb, only the third five-star prospect to land in South Bend since Notre Dame effectively rebooted its program following the 2016 debacle, Viliamu-Asa joining offensive lineman Blake Fisher in 2021 and receiver Jordan Johnson in 2020.
That pair reflects the mercurial nature of elite recruits. There is still no guarantee they succeed. Johnson has not caught on successfully anywhere. But Fisher has overcome a knee injury to now enter the NFL draft after his junior season, becoming the first Irish offensive lineman to ever do so.
Elite recruits have no guarantee, but they tend to have a higher rate of working out.
KYNGSTONN VILIAMU-ASA
St. John Bosco High School; Bellflower, Calif.
Measurements: 6-foot-3, 227 pounds.
Accolades: The No. 22 overall recruit in the class and the No. 2 inside linebacker, per rivals.com, Viliamu-Asa will play in the All-American Bowl next month.
Other notable offers: Viliamu-Asa could have gone anywhere he wanted, narrowing his finalists to Notre Dame, USC and Ohio State. He kept his recruitment genuinely private, a rarity in modern college football, his commitment largely unknown before he made it public.
“The big thing was development,” he said to rivals.com. “They have a rich history of producing linebackers. They’ve had numerous Butkus Award winners (Manti Te’o, Jaylon Smith, Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah) and to be a part of that legacy was something that was important to me as far as my aspirations to go into the league.”
Projected position: Part of Viliamu-Asa’s allure is that he should be able to stay on the field for all three downs. His pass-rush ability may pencil him into Marist Liufau’s role as a hybrid defensive end in the short-term, allowing current sophomore Jaylen Sneed to blossom in a broader role as well.
Quick take: Viliamu-Asa’s long-term future should be as an inside linebacker, somewhere he can be called upon to do all things. He is at his best when in a physical area, so perimeter duties would lose some of his natural skill set.
Short-term roster outlook: The return of Jack Kiser for one final collegiate season gives Notre Dame flexibility among its linebackers. Asking Viliamu-Asa to blitz off the edge may be the quickest way to get him on the field while also freeing up those a bit older than him to play more overall roles.
Long-term depth chart impact: Viliamu-Asa will need to compete with current freshmen Drayk Bowen and Jaiden Ausberry for middle linebacker duties, the latter two obviously having the edge of working in Al Golden’s system for the last year. But, to be blunt, Viliamu-Asa’s recruiting profile suggests that kind of edge may not be enough for them to hold him off.
RELATED READING: Four-star Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa seeks Notre Dame LB development pipeline, choosing Irish over Ohio State, USC
Freeman on KVA: He's probably the most college-ready recruit we have; physically and mentally. He's so mature.
— Irish Sports Daily (@ISDUpdate) December 20, 2023
He does have a goofy side to him, but he's like a grown man. Great parents.
BODIE KAHOUN
Patrick Henry High School; Roanoke, Va.
Measurements: 6-foot-2, 210 pounds.
Accolades: A rivals.com four-star, Kahoun is the No. 25 outside linebacker in the class.
Other notable offers: Kahoun originally committed to Ohio State … to play lacrosse. He eventually turned to football, where the Buckeyes were not offering him a scholarship, and Kahoun narrowed his list to his homestate powers Virginia Tech and Virginia before picking Notre Dame instead of North Carolina, Tennessee, Florida State or Stanford.
Projected position: Kahoun may have played outside linebacker, but his knack for contact — true of any former lacrosse player — and his slower-than-elite quickness suggests an inside role may await him.
Quick take: Kahoun has improved his quickness and his tackling angles are fundamentally sound. Much of that ties to his lacrosse background.
Short-term roster outlook: Kahoun may see some special teams action in 2024, but otherwise a reserve role likely looms.
Long-term depth chart impact: Notre Dame has jus Kiser, Sneed and three freshmen readily available at linebacker. Viliamu-Asa will join that fray right away, but after 2024, someone else will need to elevate to replace Kiser’s reps.
RELATED READING: Former Ohio State lacrosse commit, four-star LB Bodie Kahoun joins Notre Dame’s No. 2 class of 2024
Another stud from Omaha
— Notre Dame Football (@NDFootball) December 20, 2023
Vault unlocked ✅@teddyrezac is officially Irish#GoIrish☘️| @Gatorade pic.twitter.com/vc7LvYAOfe
TEDDY REZAC
Westside High School; Omaha, Neb.
Measurements: 6-foot-3, 193 pounds.
Accolades: A consensus three-star prospect, rivals.com considers Rezac the No. 36 outside linebacker in the recruiting class.
Other notable offers: Notre Dame offered Rezac a scholarship in May, before just about anyone else had. Boston College had beaten the Irish to the punch, and Rezac’s homestate power of Nebraska soon followed suit, but otherwise, he was only holding offers from all three service academies and FCS powerhouses North Dakota State, South Dakota State and Northern Iowa. Those at least made a bounty of regional sense, unlike Coastal Carolina’s offer.
Rezac took less than a week to both travel to South Bend and to commit to Notre Dame.
Projected position: Rezac needs to add weight and muscle, but not so much that he loses any chances of playing as the Rover. As is, he has the range, via a combination of speed and decisiveness, that could fit in there.
Quick take: Rezac will be an evaluation test for Irish defensive coordinator Al Golden. It is a bit burdensome to put such an onus on one player, but given that offer list when Golden made his move, the narrative is only natural.
Short-term roster outlook: Rezac should preserve a season of eligibility in 2024.
Long-term depth chart impact: Notre Dame has a few Rover candidates, between Viliamu-Asa trying to be a blitzing hybrid, Sneed’s work thus far and Ausberry’s dabbling at the position, so Rezac will have his work cut out for him to jump to the top of the heap of a pile of underclassmen.
RELATED READING: Three-star Nebraska LB Teddy Rezac commits to Notre Dame just a week after offer
