Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa Using Injury, Notre Dame Playoff Snub as Fuel for 2026 Season
Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa has been here before.
The 6-foot-3, 230-pound linebacker suffered an ACL injury in Notre Dame’s final home game of the 2025 season, the same injury, to the same knee, that he endured as a high school freshman.
It’s far from ideal, but the California native isn’t wavering.
“There's no doubt I'm going to be back,” Viliamu-Asa stated. “The fire that burns deep inside keeps me going every day. My brothers keep going every day and they motivate me."
According to Notre Dame athletic trainer Rob Hunt, Viliamu-Asa’s recovery is progressing as well as it possibly can.
“We expect him to be really active in the summer,” explained Hunt. “If he builds his strength and continues to move the way we expect him to do, then he will be somewhere in the early fall stage, maybe training camp. But again, that timeline is going to be based on his recovery timelines and recovery milestones that we expect him to hit.”
It’s a long process and something Viliamu-Asa understands well. This time around, Viliamu-Asa knows patience is the key.
"I trust the training staff,” Viliamu-Asa said. “I don't think I'm trying to beat any time. I just want to make sure the next time I step on the field, I'm at 200 percent."
Before the injury, Viliamu-Asa was emerging as a key piece of the Irish defense, recording 48 tackles, three sacks and one interception in 2025 while establishing himself as a leader.
That leadership hasn’t stopped this spring, but it’s just taken a different form.
“You can lead in many ways,” said Viliamu-Asa. “Not being able to be on the field physically, I can still be an inspiration to other guys to come in early, get extra work and be there to encourage others who are on the field."
New linebackers coach Brian Jean-Mary has challenged both Viliamu-Asa and Drayk Bowen to embrace that role while sidelined.
“They have to get better,” Jean-Mary stated. “There are a lot of ways you can get better as a football player. The worst thing that can happen is if you’re not on the grass and actually going full speed, is that you let your mind wander.
“They’re like assistant coaches right now. They’re grabbing the guys as they come off the field and say, ‘This is what you can correct, this is what I saw.’ They’re able to keep the mental part of it fresh, and that’s how they can get better. Hopefully, when they get back, that’s going to help them as far as getting back into the football mindset faster.”
While Viliamu-Asa hasn’t yet worked with Jean-Mary on the field, his new position coach has already made a strong impression.
"He definitely comes from a background with a lot of experience, around a lot of players,” Viliamu-Asa said. “He's very wise, and he's very technical when it comes to technique with footwork or hand placement and block destruction. He's been great so far."
Though he wasn’t going to be able to play, Notre Dame’s College Football Playoff snub still hit hard.
"I think for me it hurt knowing I wouldn't be able to participate, but it hurt a lot more to know my brothers wouldn't be able to participate either,” explained Viliamu-Asa. “When we saw the selection show, it was a hard day, a hard day to work through, but that's something we're using as fuel this year and going into the season."
That “leave no doubt” mindset applies just as much to Viliamu-Asa individually as it does to the team.
"Whenever I get back on the field, I want to be in a good spot where it doesn't look like I dropped off at all,” said Viliamu-Asa. “I want to pick up where I left off and be able to help the defense, play as a unit, play fast, play physical and ultimately help this team win the National Championship."
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