With injuries creating openings, Kia seizes his chance, showcasing physicality and talent to impress coaches and build his future Notre Dame legacy.
With the amount of injuries this spring to the Notre Dame linebacking corps, there's been players that have been called upon, and have the opportunity, to step up. Rising redshirt freshman Ko'o Kia, the younger brother of Fighting Irish linebacker Kahanu Kia, has taken advantage of every opportunity that's come his way. There's still a long road ahead before he cracks the five-man rotation that's returning this fall, but Kia has been putting in the work this offseason.
"I think it's a huge opportunity for me to develop, and just get a lot of reps," Kia shared when asked about the amount of linebackers out this spring. "We have, obviously, a really good linebacker room, and it’s very loaded. So last year as a freshman, coming in June, I didn’t get many reps. But it’s been good for my development right now."
This has been the deepest the Notre Dame linebacking room has been in quite some time when you consider they bring back captain Drayk Bowen, Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa, Jaiden Ausberry, Jaylen Sneed and Madden Faraimo who were all a part of the rotation, or started, in 2025. The talent and experience in this room is unlike anything I've seen in South Bend in a long time, but Kia is confident in the skillset he brings to the room.
"I think the biggest thing for me is physicality," Kia answered when asked what he brings to the table in the linebacker room. "I'm always going to come with a lot of violence. Coming from Hawaii, we like to think of it as our trademark. We're gonna come downhill and we want to hit people. That's just what we like to do."
His performance this spring has made an impression on new linebacker's coach Brian Jean-Mary who came over from Michigan. Whenever a new coach takes over a room, first impressions are made immediately, and Kia's this spring did not disappoint.
"I’ve seen a lot of growth," Jean-Mary explained about Kia. "Obviously he’s a talented kid. You can see the athleticism pop off the screen at times. The mindset is always 'we don’t know what’s going to happen next year.' The worst thing that could happen for him and for us is, ‘Well, my time is going to come next year.’ That’s the mindset that we’re trying to drill into them, and I think they’re starting to understand. You have to be ready to play the first game of the year."
Kia's spring performance has almost made a strong impression on second-year defensive coordinator Chris Ash who is well aware of the scarcity of depth in the linebacking corps.
"Because of the guys that are out, or limited, he's really had a great offseason," Ash stated. "He's gotten bigger, he's gotten stronger and he's really shined in his opportunity. This spring's going to be huge for him, not only for this year, but just his future. There are going to be a lot of guys sitting in front of him when they all get back healthy, but that doesn't mean he can't compete or he can't contribute in some aspect. Early signs say if he continues to develop, he's got the ability to do that."
There's a lot in front of the 6-2, 225-pound Hawaii native before he cracks a starting lineup, or even the defensive rotation this year. But he will have opportunities to play late in games this season and will have to make the most out of those opportunities like he has done so far this spring.
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