Notre Dame loses front-seven defender for the season with torn ACL
Kahanu Kia’s return to the Notre Dame football field is again on hold. After the program’s first fall camp practice concluded on Wednesday, coach Marcus Freeman told reporters that the Fighting Irish sophomore linebacker suffered a torn ACL in the summer. Kia is expected to be out for the season after undergoing surgery.
After initially joining Notre Dame during the 2021 season, Kia paused his college football career for a church mission. He returned to the team in January and participated in spring practice.
“There was no doubt for me,” Kia told reporters in February. “I love this place so much. Leaving was difficult. So there was no way I wasn’t going to come back and finish what I started and also be a part of what they’re building with coach Free(man) and all that.”
Despite his two seasons away, Kia proved he was back to full strength with his performance in the Blue-Gold Game. The 6-foot-2, 230-pounder registered 12 tackles (6 solo) and 2 tackles for loss during the April 20 intrasquad scrimmage.
Entering fall camp, Kia slotted as the third team mike linebacker on paper behind sophomore Drayk Bowen and freshman Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa.
In addition to Bowen and Viliamu-Asa, linebackers coach Max Bullough has six other scholarship linebackers on the roster: Jack Kiser, Jaylen Sneed, Jaiden Ausberry, Preston Zinter, Teddy Rezac and Bodie Kahoun.
Kia made his Notre Dame debut against Toledo on Sept. 11, 2021. He eventually made his second appearance against Navy that season and recorded a season-high four tackles.
“I loved my one year with Kahanu,” Freeman said in December, describing his time coaching Kia as a defensive coordinator. “He played linebacker for part of the year and moved to vyper part of the year. To get him back in this program — the energy, the production, the physicality that he plays with. I’m excited to see.”
Coming out of Honolulu Punahou, Kia was a three-star recruit who ranked as the No. 619 overall player and No. 60 linebacker in the 2021 class. He was also the No. 5 prospect in Hawai’i.
Kia’s younger brother, 2025 linebacker Ko’o Kia, verbally committed to the Irish on Jan. 15. The younger Ko’o is also a three-star who ranks as the No. 504 overall player, No. 52 linebacker nationally and No. 2 recruit in Hawai’i.
The elder Kia accompanies junior running back Gi’Bran Payne, who is already likely out for the season with a torn ACL. Payne sustained his injury in the Blue-Gold Game. All other scholarship players were available to practice on Wednesday.
