Notre Dame Getting A "Unicorn” In Linebacker Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa

St. John Bosco Head Coach Jason Negro gives insight into new Notre Dame commit Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa
Notre Dame Getting A "Unicorn” In Linebacker Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa
Notre Dame Getting A "Unicorn” In Linebacker Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa /

Notre Dame got a major boost to its 2024 recruiting class when Bellflower (Calif.) St. John Bosco star linebacker Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa opted for the Irish over finalists Ohio State and USC. It’s not hard to understand the magnitude of the decision.

Viliamu-Asa is one of those recruits that checks all the boxes. He has the production, the talent, recruiting profile, offer list and character that makes him a seamless fit. According to St. John Bosco Head Coach Jason Negro, the narrative is true, Viliamu-Asa brings it all to the table.

"Notre Dame is getting the complete package,” Negro told Irish Breakdown. "Kyngstonn is a dynamic player on the field. He’s an outstanding student in the classroom. He’s also a unique citizen in the program.

"Kyngstonn is just a top notch person,” Negro added. "He’s a unicorn. These types of people just don’t come around very often. From the second he became a member of the program, Kyngstonn made everyone better.”

From the very beginning, the St. John Bosco staff knew they had something special. Unfortunately, outside circumstances pushed back his impact for a few months.

"It was a pretty unique beginning,” explained Negro. "Kyngstonn came in right in the thick of Covid so we didn’t get to play until the spring, the following year. If we could have played in the fall, Kyngstonn would have been a starter for us as a freshman, so we had a pretty good understanding of what he could do.

"When we first put the pads on, we knew pretty quickly,” he continued. "He certainly didn’t carry himself like a freshman. Everything that we asked him to do, he was able to do it. He was rare in that way.”

After a standout freshman campaign, Viliamu-Asa lost his sophomore season due to an injury. That leg injury actually happened during the final game of that abbreviated spring season. The talented linebacker pushed himself to get back as quickly as possible.

"Coming back from the injury, Kyngstonn handled it with so much dignity and grace,” Negro stated. "He was incredibly diligent in his rehab and preparation to get back. He was fully committed and handled it all like a pro.

"No matter what, he never missed a day of practice,” he added. "Not many people know this, but if we would have made the state finals that year, there’s an outside shot that Kyngstonn would have played for us. It was incredible.”

For anyone who follows recruiting, it has become a little bit of a circus in today’s world. Some recruits love it, and some don’t. Viliamu-Asa definitely falls into that second group.

"Access to the athletes is so much greater now,” said Negro. "It’s so easy for the media to communicate with the recruits and with social media, things get out there so easily. Most players have a lot of hunger for it. They love the attention and instant gratification.

"There were some powerful fan bases involved in this recruitment, but Kyngstonn always remained even keel and handled it well,” he continued. "I have never seen him seem overwhelmed or stressed. He handles everything with class.”

A big reason for that grounded mindset is the people around Viliamu-Asa. They have allowed him to stay focused on what is important, and block out the outside noise.

"His support system is top notch, especially his mom,” Negro said. "She did an amazing job to help take a lot of stress off of him. She would communicate with the coaches and help to navigate it all.

"His dad is more of the iron fist type of guy so it’s really a great balance,” he continued. "The process begins at home. We, here at St. John Bosco, are just an extension of the foundation that they have created. Kyngstonn knew very early on that he was an elite athlete. It was also just about keeping everything in perspective.”

Whenever a player heads so far from home, there is always going to be a worry over how they will fit in. That includes Viliamu-Asa, who will be making the trip to the Midwest from sunny California. According to Negro, that isn’t something that has him overly concerned.

"There will be zero worry in my mind," Negro explained. "Kyngstonn is a very mature young man. He has his eyes set and focused on what matters.

"In the world of NIL, it’s also great to keep the support system around the athlete,” he continued. "The family is going to be able to be around more. Now that players have money in their pocket, they also can come home a lot easier. St. John Bosco is pretty similar to Notre Dame, we’re a Catholic school, we have great support like Notre Dame. It’s a faith based system and it’s something that Kyngstonn believes in.”

From one great program to another, Viliamu-Asa is sure to make his mark on the Notre Dame program. There is little doubt that he fits everything that Notre Dame values.

Viliamu-Asa is considered a four-star recruit by every major recruiting platform. He ranks highest on the Rivals ranking, currently sitting as the No. 35 overall player and No. 3 linebacker in the 2024 recruiting class. 247Sports sees the California star as a top 100 player as well, pegging him as the No. 87 overall player and No. 9 linebacker in the class.

The 6-2, 225-pound defender was courted by some of the top programs in all of college football before selecting Notre Dame. A few of the premier offers that Viliamu-Asa boasts are the Irish, Georgia, Alabama, Ohio State, Michigan, Miami, USC, Texas, LSU, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Penn State, Oregon, Michigan State, Auburn, Ole Miss, Texas A&M, Washington, UCLA, Washington State, Oregon State, Arizona State, Boston College, Stanford, Arizona and Kansas among many others.

The California native put together a dynamic junior campaign for the 13-1 St. John Bosco team. He finished the season with 111 total tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks despite missing one game. Viliamu-Asa also recorded an interception, one forced fumble, two fumble recoveries and a pass breakup. 

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2024 Commit Rankings - Defense

2023 Recruiting Class Grades - Offense
2023 Recruiting Class Grades - Defense

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Ryan Roberts
RYAN ROBERTS

Ryan Roberts is the Director of Recruiting at Irish Breakdown, where he covers all aspects of the Notre Dame recruiting efforts. A former college football player and high school football coach, Roberts is also the owner of Rise N Draft, which covers the NFL Draft. Ryan was a key contributor to Irish Breakdown before taking over Fighting Irish recruiting and NFL Draft coverage. You can email Ryan at risendraft@gmail.com Become a premium Irish Breakdown member, which grants you access to all of our premium content and our premium message board! Click on the link below for more. BECOME A MEMBER Be sure to stay locked into Irish Breakdown all the time! Follow Ryan on Twitter: @RiseNDraftLike and follow Irish Breakdown on FacebookSubscribe to the Irish Breakdown YouTube channelSubscribe to the Irish Breakdown podcast on iTunes Sign up for the FREE Irish Breakdown daily newsletter