Notre Dame has no shortage of names that could pop in 2026, but CJ Carr didn’t hesitate when asked which defender is ready to grab the spotlight.
At the Manning Passing Academy, Carr spoke with Rivals’ Wilson Alexander about the Irish, and the quarterback singled out Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa as the player he expects to turn heads.
“ I think Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa is going to have a year that won’t shock anyone around Notre Dame,” Carr said. “He’s one of the best defensive players in the country, in my opinion. He has battled through an injury with the ACL, but he’s a really good football player.”
That kind of praise makes sense when you look at Viliamu-Asa’s track record. He arrived in Notre Dame’s 2024 recruiting class as a five-star prospect, ranked by Rivals as the No. 2 linebacker, the No. 2 player in California and the No. 19 player in the nation. Notre Dame beat out USC, Ohio State, Oregon and Miami to land him.
Before the injury cut his season short, he was already building the kind of résumé that gets attention. In 11 games last season, Viliamu-Asa posted 48 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, 3 sacks, 1 interception and 2 pass deflections.
Then came the setback. He tore his ACL in Notre Dame’s final home game against Syracuse on November 22, and he’s still working his way back. It remains unclear when he’ll be “full go.”
Even with that uncertainty, Carr’s confidence in him is obvious. The quarterback pointed to a defender who could miss part of fall camp, or even the start of the season, and still be viewed as a major force once he’s back on the field. Some analysts have even pegged Viliamu-Asa as a first-round pick if he returns at full strength.
For Carr, the message was bigger than just one player. His public backing of a defensive standout also hints at a quarterback growing into a broader leadership role, one that reaches beyond his own huddle and into the heart of the defense.
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