Kahanu Kia Excited To Be Back At Notre Dame
Two years away from Notre Dame hasn’t changed Kahanu Kia’s love for the school or for football. Kia was on campus and with the Fighting Irish football team as a freshman during the 2021 fall semester, but as soon as the calendar hit Jan. 1, 2022, he left to serve a two-year Mormon mission.
Kia’s mission, which he served mostly in North Carolina in the Raleigh area, officially ended when the calendar rolled into 2024 and he is back on campus at Notre Dame and with the Irish.
"It’s been great,” Kia said of being back at Notre Dame. "In the last two years, you always think about (it), but to actually be back has been awesome. To get into the strength program again and try to get back in shape, spring ball’s coming close, back in classes. It’s just been awesome. It’s everything I hoped it would be.
"I love this place so much,” Kia continued. "It was hard to leave. I knew it was something I wanted to do. I had prayed about it. I felt strongly that I wanted to go, but 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 (Marcus Freeman).”
Kia came to Notre Dame out of Punahou High School in Kaneohi, Hawaii. He was upfront with then head coach Brian Kelly and then defensive coordinator Freeman about serving his mission.
"It was so awesome,” Kia said of serving his church mission. "A lot of times missionaries will say it’s the best two years. It certainly was that. But it also was a challenge. You go through hard things. You’re stretched mentally, spiritually, emotionally. From there you can grow. I know I grew for sure in the person that I am and the things that I believe, things that pertain to football and things that pertain just to life. It’s only been a month since I finished, but I’ve already seen the ways that I ‘ve changed. I’m so grateful for it.”
Kia was a three-star linebacker when he played in Freeman’s defense in 2021. He was listed at 6-1 3/8 and 217 pounds on the official 2021 team roster and is now officially listed at 6-2, 219 pounds. Kia did his best to workout while he was away for two years, but it was not always easy.
"At least in our mission, we weren’t allowed to go to a gym,” Kia explained. "It would be in-home workouts, go to the chapels and play some ball or whatever.
"You have like an hour-and-a-half each day and a couple hours every Monday to get in some physical exercise,” Kia continued. "You try your best. You’re with a companion, too, so they have to stay with you. You can’t really just go off on your own. I knew what I signed up for. I knew I wasn’t going to be in tip-top shape. But that’s why I’m trying to hit it hard right now and get back into doing what I need to do.”
Kia made his college debut against Toledo in the 2021 season and later made four tackles in his only other career game to date against Navy. Football had to go to the far back burner, though, during his two-year mission.
"Not much,” Kia said when asked if he was able to keep up with the Irish over the last two years. "Especially when I was in Notre Carolina. You’re not on social media. You don’t watch movies. You don’t watch TV. You can text family and call them once a week. We pretty much were in the dark. You have no clue what’s going on, which was a blessing. I was able to just focus on what I had going on. Sometimes you can go to a restaurant, someone takes you out to dinner and you see, ‘Oh, Notre Dame.’ People will let you know scores and stuff like that, but for the most part, I had no clue what was going on.”
Kia was a high school teammate of former Irish linebacker Marist Liufau. He has someone closer to him who will be a teammate at Notre Dame soon. His brother, linebacker Ko’o Kia, recently committed to the Irish in the 2025 class.
"It’s one of those things you dream about where you’re like, ‘Ahh, that’s never going to happen',” Kia said of playing with his brother. "To see that happen was a blessing. I couldn’t be more happy for him and for my parents. I know they’re super excited.”
Kia played two positions when he was with the Fighting Irish in 2021. He started out at linebacker but moved to Vyper defensive end. He says the plan for him this spring is to focus on just one position.
"Right now, it’s just been linebacker,” Kia remarked. “That’s what I was recruited as. I’m excited to be back in the room with those guys like Jack (Kiser). That’s where I left off at. Wherever they need me, honestly. We haven’t talked too much really. It’s just been learning the playbook and do everything you can to give yourself the best opportunity to play.”
Kia should help bolster a linebacker group that is long on talent but short on experience. Kiser is the veteran of the group, with Jaylen Sneed the next most experienced linebacker. Preston Zinter, Jaiden Ausberry, Drayk Bowen, and freshman early enrollee Kingston Viliamu-Asa are the others in the linebacker room.
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