Notre Dame LB Commit Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa Put Together Incredible Senior Year
In less than a week, Notre Dame is set to sign an incredibly talented 2024 recruiting class. Arguably the top player in the class is Bellflower (Calif.) St. John Bosco linebacker Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa, who the Irish landed over finalists Ohio State and USC back in August.
Following his senior year film being released, it cemented just how special Viliamu-Asa is. There is an interesting question to consider: How long has it been since Notre Dame signed a linebacker recruit this good?
Forget thoughts of hyperbole for a second. Let the film speak for itself.
RUN GAME DYNAMO
As a linebacker, you would love a big frame, power and speed to get to spots. However, there is a big part of playing the game that comes down to instincts and understanding of how to sort through traffic.
You can see that Viliamu-Asa does a tremendous job of sorting through trash and finding the ball carrier. The trenches can be a cluttered place, organized chaos at times. He clearly has a feel for the space around him and arrives at the ball carrier for a big stop.
Viliamu-Asa is a very advanced player from a power perspective. He brings that big frame and outstanding core strength, which allows him to play through contact well. Here he is taking on multiple pullers.
Quite simply, things happen fast and physically down in the trenches and it isn’t for everyone. Viliamu-Asa thrives off of working through traffic and finishing plays.
Viliamu-Asa has the profile to play middle linebacker because he has a great frame, good length and power to play at the point of attack. He also is very flexible and has shown the ability to back door some blocks, which means to come underneath and still be able to beat ball carriers to the spot.
The backside offensive tackle tries to cut off Viliamu-Asa so he goes underneath the block. The flexibility and short area quickness to sneak under and make the play is super impressive. Good linebackers know when to take that chance, and Viliamu-Asa capitalizes.
The part of Viliamu-Asa’s game that took a nice step forward as a senior was his combination of twitch and closing speed. Offenses routinely try to utilize misdirection to get linebackers in a tough position to play in pursuit.
The crazy part is that the offense technically accomplished that. Off of play action, Mater Dei was able to get the wide receiver easy space off of a slide route. Then you see Viliamu-Asa kick it into overdrive. That range is something to marvel at for a modern day middle linebacker.
His range has taken a big step as a senior. When opposing offenses try to outleverage him to the perimeter, Viliamu-Asa is able to run and cover a ton of ground.
You can see that clearly in this play. The 6-3, 230-pound linebacker makes some rare plays in pursuit for a true middle linebacker. That addition to his game has taken his ceiling to a whole other level.
PASS GAME IMPACT
If you have watched Notre Dame over the last two years under Al Golden, you know that he loves to blitz his linebackers. Lucky for him, he’s getting one of the best blitzers in the 2024 recruiting class with Viliamu-Asa. He is a blur once he penetrates the line of scrimmage.
Viliamu-Asa has a really nice combination of length and closing speed, which allows him to close ground quickly. You can see him finish for the sack, demonstrating range and the finishing ability that Irish fans will love.
When you first see Viliamu-Asa, you may get some early assumptions for what type of football player he is. Surely he must be a downhill thumper who does his best work tackle to tackle. While Viliamu-Asa is impressive in that role, he showed as a senior that he is very comfortable and smooth in space.
On this play, you can see Viliamu-Asa flip his hips and run with an inside vertical. It appears to be some form of man coverage but it’s very translatable to some Cover Two shells, where the middle linebacker has to cover the mid hole (open space between the two safeties). Viliamu-Asa is smooth and athletic enough to make an impact in pass coverage.
How many middle linebackers do you trust in man coverage against slot receivers? The answer is not many.
Viliamu-Asa has also had flashes in that department. On this rep, the opposing offense motions him across to try and get him picked off. Not only does Viliamu-Asa avoid contact, but he is able to run on the wheel route. Running stride for stride to the back of the endzone against a wide receiver is another great example of his potential impact in pass coverage.
High school is also fun to watch because players are often asked to do things that just show off their athleticism, but aren't necessarily translatable to the next level. During St. John Bosco’s rematch against Mater Dei in the playoffs, they called on Viliamu-Asa to give them a spark offensively.
Lined up at wide receiver against Chuck McDonald, one of the top cornerbacks in the 2025 class, he is able to elevate and make a circus catch for a touchdown. Viliamu-Asa is just a different cat from an athleticism perspective. He’s a special player.
FINAL THOUGHTS
There may not be an adjective that effectively described Viliamu-Asa well enough. Advanced, nuanced, dynamic, special, it’s all true. From a floor perspective, there hasn’t been a linebacker that Notre Dame has landed in some time.
If Viliamu-Asa’s senior season is any indication, we may have also underrated his upside. This is a five-star football player who could make an immediate impact when he enrolls in South Bend next month.
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