Notre Dame’s linebacker room is deep, healthy and crowded, and Kahanu Kia is right in the middle of that mix heading into 2026.
For Kia, the story has been about patience and persistence. The Hawaii native returned from a two-year mission, worked back from a major knee injury suffered in 2024 and is now beginning to settle in on the Irish defense. At 6-2 and 225 pounds, he brings the kind of physicality Notre Dame can use near the line of scrimmage, especially against the run.
Kia’s 2025 season showed how valuable he already is in the kicking game. He played all 12 games on special teams, logging snaps on kickoff return, kickoff coverage and punt return.
On defense, he got into four games for coordinator Chris Ash - against Purdue, Navy, Pitt on the road and Syracuse at home on Senior Day. His 17 snaps against Syracuse in Notre Dame’s 70-7 win were the most he had played in a game in his career.
He finished the year with nine tackles and three run stops.
That defensive workload could grow a bit in 2026, but the path is not exactly wide open. Drayk Bowen, Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa, Madden Faraimo and, hopefully, true freshman Jakobe Clapper will all be in the mix as Notre Dame works through summer workouts and fall camp. Kia has shown he can help, but the depth chart ahead of him is loaded.
Even so, there’s reason to believe his role can keep expanding. He was one of the more productive linebackers in the spring game in 2024 before the injury slowed his development, and by the back half of spring this year, he started showing up more often around the football. He’s instinctive, willing to attack the run game and capable of making plays when his chances come.
The clearest expectation for Kia is that he remains a steady piece on special teams for Marty Biagi’s units. Last season he started on three of them, and that kind of usage should continue. On defense, the opportunities will likely come later in games when the outcome is already settled, but he has already shown he can make the most of those snaps.
A solid year for Kia would look a lot like that: a meaningful special teams contributor who rotates in on defense and keeps capitalizing whenever Notre Dame calls his number. That would fit the role he’s in now, and it would still make for a strong 2026 finish.
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