Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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www.BLUEANDGOLD.com DEC. 5, 2020 45 Honolulu Punahou class of 2021 linebacker Kahanu Kia never an- nounced a top schools list like most prospects do, but it was pretty clear that he was down to Notre Dame, Stanford, UCLA and Utah. And to narrow it down further, Notre Dame and Utah were the programs to beat. Utah would've been the "safer" choice. His dad played there, he has family in the state and it is an easier trip to make from Hawai'i. How- ever, the 6-2, 205-pounder told the Notre Dame staff Nov. 17 that he'd be choosing the Fighting Irish. "At the end of the day, I had to look at the big picture," Kia told Blue & Gold Illustrated. "I couldn't pass up the opportunity to get a Notre Dame education and play football for them. I love the culture of the program; I will fit in there. It's an opportunity I can't pass up." Kia spoke with Irish recruiting coor- dinator Brian Polian, head coach Brian Kelly, defensive coordinator Clark Lea and defensive analyst Nick Lezynski to inform them of his pledge. "Coach Polian was super excited; we're all just so excited," Kia added. "I built a great relationship with them, and to be continuing on this Notre Dame path is amazing." There are no typical recruiting visits this year due to the NCAA's dead pe- riod, but Kia felt like he needed to see Notre Dame in person before coming to a decision. He did so the weekend the Irish knocked off Clemson, and that experience on campus played a major role in him choosing Notre Dame. "It was awesome," Kia said. "That weekend they beat Clemson — but even if they would've lost — I really felt comfortable on the campus. I can learn there and I can totally see myself there. The visit definitely played a huge part. "I didn't know what to think of South Bend and how far it is, but be- ing out there, it felt like home." Kia's parents loved Notre Dame, too, and are behind his choice to take the far-from-home plunge. "They 100 percent support me; they're excited," Kia added. "I de- cided this with them. I didn't just tell them what I was going to do. We had a lot of conversations about it. It wasn't an easy decision; I felt com- fortable with Utah and I felt like I was going to go there for the longest time. "But after that trip [to South Bend] and talking to the other commits, I felt like it was the place I needed to be at. It's not going to be easy, but I'm super excited and I can't wait." Again, Kia's father, Nate, played for the Utes in the mid-1990s, and Utah was the team to beat for quite some time. When did things shift in Notre Dame's favor? "When we did the first virtual visit a week or so after I got offered by them," Kia answered. "When I got of- fered by Notre Dame, I thought it was crazy, but I didn't actually think I'd actually make the jump. But after the visit and getting to know Coach Lea and Coach Lezynski and why they're recruiting me, I really bought in." Kia will enroll at Notre Dame dur- ing the summer of 2021. His plan is to spend one year in South Bend before embarking on a two-year Mormon mission trip. It's important to Kia to be a part of the Irish family for a year before he takes his mission. If he sticks with that plan, Kia would return to Notre Dame in 2024 as a sophomore. Notre Dame has had plenty of suc- cess recruiting Hawai'i in the past dozen years. There's of course Heis- man finalist and linebacker Manti Te'o, and wide receiver Robby Toma, who signed with the Irish under Charlie Weis but shined during the early Kelly era. On the current Notre Dame ros- ter, freshman defensive end Jordan Botelho, sophomore linebacker Marist Liufau and senior defensive tackle Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa hail from the Hawaiian Islands. Rivals ranks Kia as a three-star tal- ent and the No. 9 player in the state of Hawai'i. — Mike Singer COMMITMENT PROFILE KAHANU KIA Notre Dame Dips Into The Islands For Another Linebacker Kia continues the pipeline from Hawai'i to Notre Dame, and will join fellow island natives defensive end Jordan Botelho and linebacker Marist Liufau on the Irish roster next year. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS.COM FILM ANALYSIS "I think the kid is tremendous; it shows on his film. He's a hustle guy, and he'll always end up some- where in the camera. He's always around the ball and has the instincts. "He reminds me of [sophomore Notre Dame linebacker] Marist [Liufau] a lot when Marist was in high school. The best way I can describe Kahanu is a savage." — Former Notre Dame wide receiver and Hawaii native Robby Toma on Kia "At the end of the day, I had to look at the big picture. I couldn't pass up the opportunity to get a Notre Dame education and play football for them. I love the culture of the program; I will fit in there. It's an opportunity I can't pass up." KIA