Notre Dame linebackers coach Max Bullough played as a true freshman at Michigan State. He was second team All-Big Ten as a sophomore and then was named to the first team in his final two years of eligibility.
New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel was Bullough’s position coach with the Houston Texans. When Vrabel was asked who the smartest football player he ever coached was, he named two players. One of them was Bullough.
When someone like Bullough praises how intelligent linebacker Kyngstronn Viliamua-Asa is, everyone should listen.
“We all know it was kind of insane how fast Kyngstonn was ready to play,” Bullough said when asked about KVA’s true freshman season. There were only four freshmen linebackers who played 300+ snaps for Power 4 programs last season. KVA finished with the highest PFF grade out of those four.
He gained invaluable experience with all of the snaps he played in 2024, including a season high in snaps in the national championship game against Ohio State. He’s extremely grateful that he got that opportunity and for how that experience is going to help him going forward.
“To make it to that point in the season. It's not an opportunity a lot of people get to, and especially my freshman year, that's a testament to the culture that we have here and the guys that we had,” Viliamu-Asa said. “But I think it ultimately comes down to details. When you have a team just as talented as you, it's gonna come down to who's able to execute longer, who's able to keep going play after play. Reload and be able to come back the next play and execute just like they did the whole game.
“So going into this year, working on my fundamentals, working on being detailed in everything I do to make sure we're able to execute down the line.”
More than just his own experiences, his teammates and former Notre Dame linebackers who are in the NFL have had a great influence on his approach as well.
“Yeah, for sure, having a year under my belt and also having guys like Drayk in front of me, Kiser in front of me last year, Sneed and Jaiden to see how they kind of operate,” KVA said about his approach before his second fall camp.
“Being able to get in touch with Marist and JD Bertrand, those who came before me. And then having the year under your belt, it's a lot of things that you self-reflect on your first year. You recognize the gaps that are in your game and you kind of structure your future and your day out to see how you can close those gaps and ultimately reach your full potential.”
There may not be a safer bet to reach his ceiling on the Notre Dame roster than KVA. It’s not that he’s just smart and talented. As Bullough noted, it’s KVA’s maturity and the way he sees the game that has given him an advantage with his development compared to so many others.
He was very good as a college football rookie. He’s going to be better in year two. In terms of breakout candidates on the defense, he’s right there at the top of the list for Notre Dame.
“He has had a great camp. Kyngstonn is a pro,” Bullough stated. “I say it every time. He comes in. He takes care of his business. He eats right. He does what he's supposed to do. He knows the answers. He answers any questions in the meeting. He's there watching film late.
“He understands football. He understands spatial awareness. He has some very special abilities in terms of being able to bend, in his shoulder, and hip separation. He's a guy that can do it all. He can line up with the best of the best third-down rushers that we have on the team too, and also be what he is at linebacker. To me, the sky is the limit for Kyngstonn. The sky is the limit, and we plan on using all those aspects that he has.”
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