SOUTH BEND — Kahanu Kia’s return to Notre Dame football after serving a two-year Mormon mission includes an unexpected bonus: The chance to play alongside his younger brother in another year or so.
Fellow linebacker Ko’o Kia, a three-star recruit from Honolulu who committed last month to Notre Dame’s top-ranked 2025 class, has sprouted into a 6-foot-2, 210-pound prospect.
“When I first saw him (last fall), he was so long and tall and almost unrecognizable,” the elder Kia said Friday. “He’s definitely gotten bigger since. He got super-long. His arms were just like, ‘What the heck?’ I wish I had that.”
Listed at 6-2 and 219 pounds in his own right, Kia is in the process of bulking up to play linebacker after splitting time at Vyper end as a freshman in 2021. All but 11 of his 132 plays that season came on special teams, but that preapproved missionary stint in Eastern North Carolina (about 18 months) and last fall in Hawaii allowed Kia’s eligibility timeline to overlap with his little brother’s.
Ko’o Kia’s Junior Day commitment on Jan. 15 proved emotional for the whole family.
Loren Landow: ‘It was a no brainer.’ Loren Landow embracing new role as Notre Dame football strength coach
“It was so awesome,” Kahanu Kia said. “It’s one of those things you dream about where you’re like, ‘Ah, that’s never going to happen.’ I couldn’t be more happy for him and for my parents. I know they’re super-excited.”
Nate Kia is a former Utah defensive end, while Emmalei was a Utes cheerleader. Somehow both of their football-playing sons found their way to the Midwest; Ko’o passed up offers from Utah, USC, Texas, Washington and Oregon, among others.
“I love this place so much,” Kahanu Kia said. “It was hard to leave. There was no way I wasn’t going to come back and finish what I started. … The magic is still in the air every time I’m walking to class.”
From the same Punahou High School pipeline that produced the likes of Manti Te’o, Robby Toma and Marist Liufau, Kahanu Kia was officially released from his missionary service on Jan. 1. Don’t ask him for thoughts on Marcus Freeman’s first two years as head coach as the missionary work essentially wiped out any chance to follow Notre Dame football from afar.
“You’re not on social media, you’re don’t watch movies, you don’t watch TV,” Kia said. “You can text family and call them once a week. We pretty much were in the dark. You have no clue what’s going on, which was a blessing. I was able to focus on what I had going on.”
Now Kia’s focus can turn to the brotherly reunion that lies ahead.
Mike Berardino covers Notre Dame football for NDInsider.com and is on social media @MikeBerardino.
This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Kia Brothers reunion lies ahead with Notre Dame football
