Notre Dame Film Room: 2024 Linebacker Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa
There are a host of very talented linebackers on the 2024 recruiting board for Notre Dame. There are some questions about who the top targets are on the board but there are little questions that Bellflower (Calif.) St. John Bosco standout Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa is at the very top.
The St. John Bosco star is among the most gifted and highly decorated linebackers in the entire class. Let’s take a look at what Viliamu-Asa brings to the field.
PROSPECT PROFILE
Hometown/High School: Bellflower, Calif./St. John Bosco
Height/Weight: 6-2, 225
IB Grade: 4.0 (Top 100 prospect)
Upside Grade: 4.5
Offers: Notre Dame, Alabama, Georgia, Ohio State, Michigan, USC, Texas, LSU, Tennessee, Miami, Oregon, Texas A&M, Washington, UCLA, Michigan State, Auburn, Oregon State, Stanford, Boston College, Louisville, Arizona, Kansas
FILM ROOM
Here is a film breakdown of Viliamu-Asa.
Size/Strength/Power - Viliamu-Asa boasts an outstanding frame for a Mike linebacker on the next level. Currently right around 225 pounds, he is almost college ready from a size perspective. He has a well proportioned frame with very little bad weight, which should allow him to keep his weight down in college. Viliamu-Asa also has a sturdy lower half, easily creating power in some very small spaces. There is some easy power created throughout his trunk, which allows him to create a lot of pop in his hands to engage opposing blockers.
He also plays with a tough, throwback style, combining relentlessness with toughness in a downhill style. When Viliamu-Asa hits opposing ball carriers, they feel it, showcasing some easy power. He is also an aggressive football player who has no issue taking chances, while playing with an outstanding motor and effort throughout plays.
Athletic Skills - Athletically, Viliamu-Asa is a crisp mover who has some really easy speed out of his trigger step. His initial burst is quick and explosive, getting downhill in a hurry. The foot quickness and agility he possesses is also easy, showing the talent to change direction well and move quickly to his spots. While Viliamu-Asa isn’t a dynamic mover working to the perimeter, he is more than adequate with his ability to work in pursuit.
Lateral mobility is also plus, showing patience working to the perimeter. He remains flexible and balanced working through traffic. Viliamu-Asa gets into his backpedal quickly in pass coverage. He remains comfortable working in reverse, a trait that is not overly common for a middle linebacker.
Instincts/Technique - Viliamu-Asa plays with superb instincts. He is one of those proactive players who always seems a step ahead with his ability to read and react to a play. From his trigger step, he is easily able to locate ball carriers and read quarterbacks eyes. He plays with his hands well, working off of contact effectively to make plays in the run game. As a tackler, he displays consistent and solid technique. There is some strike in Viliamu-Asa’s lower half as a tackler to create big collisions.
Run Game - Viliamu-Asa plays with a pretty consistent base. There are times where he plays a bit high and that can affect his power profile. His vision is substantial working through his reads at the beginning of plays. When he takes on blocks, he is able to strike and keep opposing offensive lineman off of his chest. That allows Viliamu-Asa to play off of contact and shed effectively. The angles he takes are mostly good but he can come a little shallow at times. When he plays with good pad level, Viliamu-Asa can halt opposing ball carriers in their tracks. As a pursuit player, the California native has good but not great speed to make plays from the backside. For a middle linebacker, it is still plus range.
Pass Game - Viliamu-Asa was a productive pass rusher as a junior. As a blitzer, he quickly finds space to attack and showcases good closing speed to finish plays. In pass coverage, he has really good eyes to read quarterbacks. Viliamu-Asa is a quick diagnoser in that area, showing the talent to make game changing plays when they come his way. His closing speed, whether as a blitzer or in space, is notable to finish plays.
AREAS FOR IMPROVEMENT
While Viliamu-Asa is a nice overall mover, he does take some flat angles at times in pursuit. He is able to still finish those plays on the high school level but will need to play with better angles more consistently on the next level.
Pad level is another area that Viliamu-Asa will need to tighten up moving forward. When he plays with low pads, he is a nice lover who can come to balance as a tackler and create big collisions. When he doesn’t, he sacrifices the natural power that he possesses.
NOTRE DAME FIT
Viliamu-Asa is the prototype Mike linebacker in the Notre Dame systems. He has the physical profile and frame to play through contact and make plays consistently in the run game. As a pass coverage player, he also projects very favorably in the middle of a defense. His blitzing ability also suits what Notre Dame likes to do from its linebackers. Notre Dame needs to continue adding more size and power to the linebacker depth chart, and Viliamu-Asa certainly adds more of that.
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