‘I’m Gonna Hit’: Ko’o Kia Bringing Physical Edge to Notre Dame Spring
It’s a big spring for Notre Dame linebacker Ko’o Kia.
With injuries thinning out Notre Dame’s linebacker room, the youngster is getting extended reps and valuable opportunities he didn’t see much of during his first year on campus.
”I think it's a huge opportunity for me to develop and just get a lot of reps,” said Kia. “We have a really good linebacker room and it’s very loaded. Last year, as a freshman, coming in June, I didn’t get many reps. It’s been good for my development right now.”
Despite the increased workload this spring, the path to playing time remains crowded. Notre Dame is set to return its top five linebackers from a year ago, making immediate snaps hard to come by once the unit is fully healthy.
Still, there’s a light at the end of the tunnel. Drayk Bowen and Jaylen Sneed will exhaust their eligibility and additional departures to the NFL could open the door.
For now, though, Kia isn’t looking that far ahead.
“I'm really not thinking about a timeline,” stated Kia. “I'm not even thinking about the summer or the season. I'm just thinking about spring, what's in front of me. I got Friday practice. That's what I'm thinking about right now, to be honest.”
That mindset is allowing Kia to grow both physically and mentally. Increased reps against college competition are helping him find comfort on the field, while the added responsibility is accelerating his understanding of the defense.
“I would say definitely just a lot of mental stuff, like mastering the playbook more,” Kia said. “I feel like I have a good grasp on it, but kind of getting to that next level where a lot of the older guys are at.”
Notre Dame has practiced just three times, but Kia is already making some noise.
On the first day of practice, Kia forced a fumble and that’s something Bowen says is becoming a trend.
“The way he's just always around the ball, he's going to make sure that he's hustling to the ball,” stated Bowen. “If he's not making the tackle, he's in a lot of ball disruption, which is a big thing.”
Kia is also in a unique situation where he’s on the same team as his older brother, Kahanu.
It also marks the first time the two have been on the same team and neither is taking it for granted.
“I would describe it as a blessing,” Kia stated. “I never got to play with him before. Coming to Notre Dame and being able to play with him has been really fun.”
The time spent together in South Bend has also grown the relationship with his older brother.
“I would say absolutely it's strengthened our relationship,” Kia explained. “We're there to hold each other accountable.”
Beyond his brother, Kia has found a brotherhood within the linebacker room and one that’s helped fast-track his development. Teammates like Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa have taken on mentorship roles, which Kia is grateful for.
“They've been helping me a lot,” said Kia. “Anytime I have questions or we'll be watching film, Kyngstonn will be helping me a lot. He's always giving me little tips. A lot of them are out right now, so they're just watching practice. They're able to give me little pointers to help me develop better.”
One of the lessons Kia has learned is the importance of communication at all three levels of the defense.
“They execute at a very high level,” Kia stated. “I think the biggest thing that I took note of was communication. They always know what's going on, and they're really good at talking to the front and the secondary and just keeping everyone on the same page.”
Of course, communication is only part of the equation. Physicality has long defined Notre Dame’s defense, and Kia is eager to carry on that tradition.
“I think the biggest thing for me is physicality,” explained Kia. “I'm always gonna come with just violence. Coming from Hawaii, we like to think of it as our trademark. We're gonna come downhill. We want to hit people. That's just what we like to do.”
Kia knows there’s more to playing linebacker than just delivering hits, but he also knows physicality sets the tone.
“I want to get better as a football player in every aspect,” said Kia. "But if nothing else, I'm gonna run hard to the ball and I'm gonna hit.”
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