Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa

#27 · LB · Jr. · Notre Dame6′3″ · 234 lb · Inland Empire, CA · St. John Bosco

Last gameW 35–13at Navy · Oct 31
Nextvs MiamiSat Nov 7 · 7:30 pm ET
15 tackles in 5 games; their best was 5 vs Rice.
Game 1: against Wisconsin, win 41-13, no tackles in this gameWWISGame 2: against Rice, win 52-0, 5 tackles, tackle for loss 25WRICEGame 3: against Michigan State, win 27-10, 2 tackles2WMSUGame 4: at Purdue, win 49-10, 3 tackles3WPUR@Game 5: at North Carolina, win 37-26, 3 tackles3WUNC@Game 6: against Stanford, win 58-7, no tackles in this gameWSTANGame 7: at BYU, loss 24-28, 2 tackles2LBYU@Game 8: against Navy, win 35-13, no tackles in this gameWNAVYSeason high
Game 1: against Wisconsin, win 41-13, no tackles in this gameWWISGame 2: against Rice, win 52-0, 5 tackles, tackle for loss 25 · season highWRICEGame 3: against Michigan State, win 27-10, 2 tacklesWMSUGame 4: at Purdue, win 49-10, 3 tacklesWPUR@Game 5: at North Carolina, win 37-26, 3 tacklesWUNC@Game 6: against Stanford, win 58-7, no tackles in this gameWSTANGame 7: at BYU, loss 24-28, 2 tacklesLBYU@Game 8: against Navy, win 35-13, no tackles in this gameWNAVY

Navy · W 35-13

No tackles.

Viliamu-Asa has tackles in 5 of Notre Dame’s 8 games: none against Wisconsin, Stanford and Navy.

This week

What’s being said

6 stories in the last 30 days, from 3 outlets.

Oct 8: 1Oct 9: 2Oct 14: 1Oct 31: 2W 58-7 vs StanfordWL 24-28 at BYULW 35-13 vs NavyWOct 6Nov 4Most in a day: 2
Oct 8: 1Oct 9: 2Oct 14: 1Oct 31: 2W 58-7 vs StanfordWL 24-28 at BYULW 35-13 vs NavyWOct 6Nov 4Most in a day: 2
Stories per day. W and L: the team’s results.

Notre Dame football goes without Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa vs. Navy

South Bend Tribune +1 Oct 31

All 19 stories this season

A play of his this season

  1. Q1, 6:31 · North Carolina tiedKyngstonn Viliamu-Asa intercepts Billy Edwards and returns it 14 yardsNotre Dame at North Carolina, week 5Q1, 6:31 · North Carolina 7, Notre Dame 77-7score after the play7-7score after the playB.Edwards Jr. pass intercepted by K.Viliamu-Asa at UNC26 broken up by B.Traore QB hurried by B.Traore K.Viliamu-Asa return 14 yards to the UNC12 (J.McGill)Watch from this playESPN College Football

The story

As of

Through 11 games in 2025, Viliamu-Asa was one of the best linebackers in the country by the grades — 48 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, three sacks and an interception, with PFF rating him third nationally at the position — before a season-ending ACL tear cut it off. At 6-3, 230 he's a fast, physical downhill backer who's spent his rehab as a coach-on-the-field mentor. The forward stakes carry an honest caveat: Notre Dame expects him back for the start of the season, but a December ACL means Week 1 availability is worth confirming closer to fall. If he's right, a top-three-graded linebacker returning to a deep room is a Butkus dark horse and the centerpiece of the Irish defense.

Read the rest of the story

Update (Oct. 28, 2026): Notre Dame lost 28-24 at BYU on Oct. 17 as a 10.5-point favorite and is 6-1. Viliamu-Asa had two tackles in the game and has 15 this season, 1.5 of them for loss.

Sources

Style of play

Style of play

Play style

Viliamu-Asa is a fast, physical, downhill linebacker — the PFF grade (third nationally before the injury) reflects a player who's rarely wrong and always around the ball. At 6-3, 230 he triggers quickly against the run and has the range to make plays sideline to sideline, with the production (7.5 TFL, three sacks, an interception in 11 games) of a complete three-down backer. The honest framing for 2026 is the knee: this is a projection built on elite pre-injury tape plus an expected healthy return, not on 2025 production he was able to finish. If the explosiveness comes all the way back, the ceiling is one of the best linebackers in the country.

Similar players

Closest statistical matches, adjusted for opponent strength.