Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa ready to create new legacy at Notre Dame
BELLFLOWER, Calif. (BVM) – As a four-star prospect and top-100 player in the Class of 2024 who is committed to one of college football’s elite programs, the reality has set in for Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa that he is in position to achieve one of his ultimate goals: becoming an NFL player.
Since he began playing flag football at four years old with his cousins, becoming a professional football player became a dream. The 6-foot-3, 230-pound linebacker has watched some of his favorite players in the league like Fred Warner, Roquan Smith, Micah Parsons and Talanoa Hufanga excel in the NFL over the past few years, and soon, he might be able to grace the same field as those guys.
“I’ve been dreaming of that since I’ve started playing ball,” Viliamu-Asa said. “Now that it’s becoming more and more of a reality, I’ve become more aware of the requirements and the commitment that’s necessary to be able to make that dream a reality.”
While Viliamu-Asa certainly has NFL potential, that part of his football journey remains a ways off. First, he will play at one of college football’s most storied programs, Notre Dame, after committing to the Fighting Irish in late July.
Praise God ☘️ @Hayesfawcett3 pic.twitter.com/Lu2vKWtDmB
— Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa (@AsaViliamu) July 23, 2023
Viliamu-Asa held offers that most kids can only dream of from nearly every big-time collegiate program in the country, including Alabama, Georgia and Ohio State, to name a few. Honored by the amount of attention he received, Viliamu-Asa made sure to make relationships with each school that reached out to him before making his final decision.
“It was a great process for me and my family,” Viliamu-Asa said. “I’m definitely blessed to be able to have relationships with a lot of coaches and a lot of programs. I looked at it as a blessing. There’d probably be other kids who were wanting this to happen to them. I took every phone call, replied to every text and took the time to communicate with the people who took the time to reach out to me.”
Down to a final three of Notre Dame, Ohio State and USC, it was ultimately the Fighting Irish that stood out the most, for reasons that go beyond just football.
“Once I visited the first time for the Blue-Gold game, I knew they would for sure be a school I’d highly consider,” Viliamu-Asa said. “What really separated them was I felt like Notre Dame was the best choice for my long-term future and life beyond football. To know that once I’m done playing, or once I say I’m going to step away from the game, I know I’m going to be set up and be able to succeed and achieve my aspirations off the field.”
One of the other draws for Viliamu-Asa was the strong bonds he quickly formed with head coach Marcus Freeman and the rest of the coaching staff in South Bend.
“My relationship is great with every single one of them, the whole defensive staff,” Viliamu-Asa said. “I’m really excited to get on the field. I know the kind of background that they have, and their experience, and they’re going to help me develop into the best linebacker I can be.”
Viliamu-Asa maximizing his potential at the linebacker position is a scary thought for the rest of college football, as he has already proved his elite talent during his time on the gridiron.
🌴🌊😎
The Los Angeles @RivalsCamp video and data has been posted to Zcruit
The camp was absolutely loaded with over 1⃣7⃣0⃣ D1-offered prospects. Many of the west coast's best showed up to compete including @AsaViliamu
🏈📽️💯 pic.twitter.com/fZTcku9Yf3
— Zcruit (@ZcruitFootball) March 21, 2023
It was evident throughout his youth football career, and one of the first times Viliamu-Asa truly realized how bright his football future was came while playing alongside some of the country’s elite talent in eighth grade with the OG Ducks.
“That’s when I got more exposed to playing against teams outside of California,” Viliamu-Asa said. “They played against top teams in the nation. That was a really good experience … The eighth grade year is when I realized that I had an opportunity to take it far in football.”
As he began playing in high school at St. John Bosco, Viliamu-Asa embraced the increased level of talent to have a successful freshman season.
“Covid kind of messed things up, but coming in freshman year, I just wanted to get acclimated to the next level of football in high school,” Viliamu-Asa said. “I knew it was going to be a lot different than eighth grade, and I knew I was going to have to prove myself to be able to play on varsity, earn a spot.
“I had a great introduction to what high school football was all about.”
However, the end of that season would bring one of the low points of the athletic and versatile linebacker’s career. In the final game of the season, Viliamu-Asa went down with a knee injury while chasing a quarterback. At first, it didn’t seem to be a big deal.
“My initial reaction, I thought it wasn’t bad,” Viliamu-Asa said. “I thought I was going to go back in the game later in the fourth quarter. But I got to the sideline, they checked it out, they told me not to go back in.”
After the game, further testing revealed Viliamu-Asa had suffered an ACL injury.
“I got an MRI, they told me the news, and I didn’t really know how to react,” Viliamu-Asa added. “That was my first major injury.”
For most, a significant knee injury would be a devastating setback to their football career. However, thanks to a strong support system, Viliamu-Asa attacked his rehab head on. While it wasn’t easy for him to watch the entirety of the 2021 season from the sidelines, the linebacker was also able to gain a new perspective on the game.
“I had a great support system around me,” Viliamu-Asa said. “My family was there for me, my teammates were there for me, my coaches were there for me. They all made sure that I was going to have the right resources, have the right tools to be able to get back to 100%.
“It wasn’t easy sitting on the sidelines … I went to rehab day in and day out and just put my head down, kept working. I grew a lot of appreciation for being able to play the game that I love, because it can be taken away in a second. It definitely gave me a new perspective on appreciating the things that I have.”
Also aiding Viliamu-Asa in his recovery is his faith, something which is an important part of his life and has helped him throughout his football journey.
“It’s really important to me and my family,” Viliamu-Asa said. “It helps me stay grounded, it helps me stay rooted, it helps me stay humble.”
The long layoff Viliamu-Asa endured certainly paid off as he made his much anticipated return to the field for his junior season. The linebacker put up impressive numbers including 111 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks, one forced fumble and one interception to become the Southern Section All-CIF Defensive Player of the Year. He was also a key part of a special St. John Bosco defense that helped the Braves to a CIF Division I state championship.
#jobfinished pic.twitter.com/KrzYjv8ocK
— Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa (@AsaViliamu) December 11, 2022
“Last year was great,” Viliamu-Asa said. “Great guys, great athletes, and I feel like we had one of the best defenses, if not the best defense in Bosco history.
“I was excited to get back on the field with my guys. I know they were excited to play with me, too. My expectations were just to get on the field and show people I’m still who I am, I can still play. And to just relieve myself of any doubt of not being the same coming off of injury.”
St. John Bosco's @AsaViliamu checks all the boxes at the linebacker position.
Racked up 100+ tackles, 5.5 sacks and had a pick-6 for the No. 1 team in the country. pic.twitter.com/PVsZrwElCx
— Zack Poff (@Zack_Poff_MP) January 13, 2023
As he enters his senior year, Viliamu-Asa is hoping to lead the Braves to back-to-back championships, and also wants to claim the Butkus Award as the nation’s top linebacker. However, one of his main goals is to continue to develop as a leader that the young guys on the team can look up to.
“This year, I want to take a big jump in my leadership,” the senior linebacker said. “Definitely want to be a guy people can look up to, rally around. I just want to make the people around me better and make sure all the young guys are playing up to par as well.”
For Viliamu-Asa, that will only add to the legacy he hopes to leave at St. John Bosco, a storied program he has cherished being able to play for.
“Bosco is a great program, lot of great guys have come through,” Viliamu-Asa mentioned. “They’ve been able to do a lot of great things … It means everything that I’ve been able to be part of something special, and be part of a legacy of excellence in this program. When it’s all said and done, I want people to be able to say that I’m a great person, a great teammate and a great athlete.”
It won’t be long before Viliamu-Asa joins a similarly storied program at Notre Dame. Once he arrives in South Bend, the linebacker is prepared to start working towards his future goals.
“I definitely want to be able to achieve my dream of being in the NFL,” Viliamu-Asa said. “I also want to be a Butkus winner in college as well, and develop into the best player I can be.”
Viliamu-Asa has the potential to become a top player on Notre Dame’s defense, yet, he continues to focus on a team-centric mindset as well. Part of a top-10 class nationally, Viliamu-Asa believes the Fighting Irish will accomplish something special before he leaves South Bend.
“We want to come together as a group,” Viliamu-Asa said. “We’re going to make each other better and bring success to Notre Dame.”
