Notre Dame Signs LB Kahanu Kia

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish have signed linebacker Kahanu Kia

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish have signed linebacker Kahanu Kia

KAHANU KIA PROFILE

Hometown: Honolulu, Hawai'i
High School: Punahou

Height: 6-2
Weight: 215

IB Grade: 3.5 (Top 400 caliber player)
Upside Grade: 4.0

Offers: Notre Dame, Utah, UCLA, Stanford, Colorado, Arizona, Washington State, Princeton, Dartmouth

Recruited By: Brian Polian, Clark Lea

Rivals: 3-star
ESPN: 3-star
247Sports: 3-star
Composite: 3-star - No. 592 overall

FILM ANALYSIS

Kia plays all over the field for Punahou. You will see him line up in space, on the edge and in the middle of the defense as a linebacker. That versatility is likely something that attracted the Notre Dame staff to Kia.

He is a smart and instinctive football player, he's fundamentally sound and he's a quality tackler. Kia knows how to play football, and it allows him to make a lot of plays at the prep level. He takes on blocks extremely well, plays with sound footwork and shows a knack for beating blockers to the football. I like how Kia drives through ball carriers, and he rarely stops moving his feet.

Kia isn't an overly explosive athlete and he lacks the ideal range to be a great cover player on the outside, but he's instinctive in coverage. As an inside linebacker, especially as a Mike linebacker, his length and feel in coverage should allow him to thrive.

Right now, at 6-2 and 215 pounds Kia lacks ideal girth to play immediately, but he has the kind of frame that should allow him to fill out quite a bit in time. In that regard, serving a mission could benefit him from a football standpoint by giving him time to allow his body to mature before his eligibility clock starts moving. Despite a lack of girth at this time, Kia is strong and physical at the point of attack. Once he fills out his frame you can expect his power to become even more impactful.

JOHN GARCIA, SI ALL-AMERICAN, ON KIA

“Kia's tape pops right from the jump with explosive traits on full display against both the run and the pass. There is three-down talent on attack off-ball, on the edge and even at inside linebacker. He has a savvy about his game which enables for a motor down, redirect in his attack that leads to tackles for loss and even interceptions on Friday nights. This may be the signal-caller of the future in South Bend despite a compact frame, in which he plays much bigger. Kia's natural ability in space and especially in coverage may translate to leading tackler numbers down the road." 

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