It’s safe the Irish are on fire on the recruiting trail recently. With the addition of Hawaiian linebacker Kahanu Kia, making it three more commitments to the 2021 class in the last week. First Philip Riley rejoined, then kicker Josh Bryan and now Kia.
COMMITTED!!☘️☘️ pic.twitter.com/WLCTlHeQ9s
— Kahanu Kia (@KahanuKia) November 19, 2020
Let’s take a look at what to expect out of the six-foot-two-inch and 220-pound ‘backer.
A great athlete with very good instincts, who has closing speed and knows how to finish plays. Kia shows that he can play the run as well as drop back into coverage. His hands are good enough to turn the solid coverage skills into turnovers. Kia will ultimately be a linebacker who never has to leave the field due to his versatility. The highlight package didn’t show much of him rushing the passer, so you question a bit what his abilities are to get to the quarterback. That’s something Kia can focus on when he arrives to South Ben.
Overall the Brian Kelly scores big again by getting a very solid out-of-state prospect. The upside is tremendous, but don’t expect Kia to make an immediate impact, as I believe he’ll need a few years before he’ll contribute for the Irish.
Don’t forget to check out our latest recruiting update, the current commitment list and our FIW exclusive interview with 2021 offensive line commit Pat Coogan.