Tag: Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa

Is Howard Cross III playing today? Injury updates for Notre Dame DL

TEAMA POSITION PLAYER NAME (ex Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa) is dealing with a [BLANK] injury. Here are the latest updates.

(This story was updated to add new information.)

Notre Dame Fighting Irish defensive lineman [autotag]Howard Cross III[/autotag] is available and will play as No. 3 Notre Dame takes on the No. 9 Indiana Hoosiers in a first-round College Football Playoff game in South Bend.

Fighting Irish running back [autotag]Jeremiyah Love[/autotag] is also available and will play.

Update: Notre Dame confirms that all student-athletes listed on the two-deep this week are available to play tonight.

Howard Cross III injury update

After missing three games with a high ankle sprain, Cross will be back against Indiana.

“Howard Cross is an excellent football player,” Notre Dame head coach [autotag]Marcus Freeman[/autotag] said. “When you don’t have him, he’s missed.”

How long will Howard Cross III be out?

As noted above, Cross is back after missing three games. However, these players are out for the Irish: Linebacker [autotag]Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa[/autotag] (right knee), linebacker [autotag]Bodie Kahoun[/autotag] (lower leg), and wide receiver [autotag]KK Smith[/autotag] (clavicle).

Notre Dame defensive line depth chart

With Cross back, the Irish should be ready to rock. Rylie Mills and Donovan Hinish had stepped up in Cross’s absence, and if Cross isn’t bothered by any lingering effects from the injury, the Irish defense will be in good shape.

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Is Howard Cross III playing today? Injury updates for Notre Dame DL

Notre Dame defensive lineman Howard Cross III is dealing with an ankle injury. Here are the latest updates.

Notre Dame defensive lineman [autotag]Howard Cross III[/autotag] has been dealing with an ankle injury, and he’s questionable for today’s game at USC. Cross III has been a key part of the No. 5 Fighting Irish’s defense.

Howard Cross III injury update

Cross is questionable for today’s game. He is not listed on the two-deep depth chart. All student-athletes listed on the two-deep are available.

“Howard was close,” Notre Dame head coach [autotag]Marcus Freeman[/autotag] said after the Irish beat No. 25 Army last week. “He practiced some. We just didn’t feel like he could give it a go.”

How long will Howard Cross III be out?

It is unclear how long Cross will be out, or if he’ll play this afternoon at USC.

Irish linebacker [autotag]Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa[/autotag] is out with a knee sprain, and linebacker [autotag]Bodie Kahoun[/autotag] is out as well. Notre Dame wide receiver [autotag]KK Smith[/autotag] is out with a broken collarbone.

Notre Dame defensive line depth chart

[autotag]Donovan Hinish[/autotag] and [autotag]Rylie Mills[/autotag] will be expected to step up on the interior defensive line if Cross remains out.

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Marcus Freeman updates Notre Dame star freshman’s status for USC

Unfortunately, he won’t be able to play when the Irish return to his home state this weekend

It has been a season riddled with injuries for Notre Dame football, and on Monday when head coach Marcus Freeman met with the media, they will once again be down another contributor.

True-freshman linebacker [autotag]Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa[/autotag] has been one of the first off the bench, not just playing during garbage time. The California native got banged up against Army, as he was seen on the sidelines with ice wrapped around his knee.

Unfortunately, it looks like KVA won’t be able to play in front of his family and friends this weekend as Notre Dame travels to face USC, as Freeman announced that his star freshman will be out this weekend with a knee sprain.

Viliamu-Asa has a very bright future ahead of him, as he’s already made an impact on the Irish defense with 29 tackles, a sack and an interception this fall. His role with Notre Dame’s defense will only grow with time, as it wouldn’t surprise me to see him take over a starting spot next fall, even if he’s unable to see the field for the remainder of this season.

Notre Dame linebacker Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa (27) at Notre Dame spring football practice Thursday, March 7, 2024, at the Irish Athletics Center in South Bend.

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On3 has two Notre Dame players on its mid-season Freshman All-American team

These two Irish freshman have bright futures ahead of them

While many teams across the country have had to use some of its true freshman earlier than anticipated, Notre Dame’s injury woes has been a blessing in disguise as it has found a pair that will have great careers in South Bend.

On Monday afternoon, On3 named its midseason true freshman All-American team with offensive tackle [autotag]Anthonie Knapp[/autotag] and linebacker [autotag]Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa[/autotag] both making the cut.

The tackle has started every game so far for the Irish, and head coach Marcus Freeman has raved about his progress. He’s said many times that Knapp has improved every week, as he gets more accustomed to the collegiate game.

While KVA isn’t a starter like his teammate, he’s still had a major impact on the Notre Dame defense. In limited time this fall, he’s already made 16 stops with a sack and an interception. If the players ahead of him weren’t playing at a high level, we’d probably be seeing Viliamu-Asa trotting out with the starting lineup.

Notre Dame Fighting Irish linebacker Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa (27) tackles Purdue Boilermakers running back Devin Mockobee (45) Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024, during the NCAA football game at Ross-Ade Stadium in West Lafayette, Ind. Notre Dame Fighting Irish won 66-7.

While this is a great honor, it’s just at the midpoint of the season and both of them will have to continue to play at a high level to earn full season honors while helping the Irish continue to win games.

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Notre Dame statistical leaders through four games

Who’s on the board going into the next game?

The great thing about Notre Dame’s dominant win over Miami (Ohio) is that a few more players got a chance to shine. Consequently, we have a few new names popping up in our weekly statistical leaders listicle heading into the game against Louisville. That should force the Cardinals to be a little more aware of the players they’ll be going up against.

This goes without saying, but the Irish always can benefit from new players appearing in these categories. It highlights just how deep the team’s talent is, and anyone can step in at any point. It might take some players longer to crack the leaders lists than others, but that’s the beauty of a regular season that runs through the end of November.

So who are the players standing out the most going into the Irish’s last game before their first bye week? Take a look for yourself here:

On3 names Notre Dame linebacker true freshman standout for Week 3

Hopefully, this is the start of a nice career for the Irish.

It’s way too early to tell how much linebacker [autotag]Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa[/autotag] will contribute to Notre Dame. If the true freshman consistently plays like he did against Purdue though, we could be looking at someone who racks up more than a few accolades in an Irish uniform.

Viliamu-Asa’s three tackles in the win over the Boilermakers were a drop from the seven he had in the loss to Northern Illinois. However, he also was credited with half a sack, half a tackle for loss and the first interception of his collegiate career, which he returned for four yards.

Viliamu-Asa’s game was enough for Charles Power of On3 to rank it eighth on his list of true freshman standout performances for Week 3. You can read the entire list here if you’re about all things college football, but you might just want to read what was written about Viliamu-Asa if you only care about the Irish. Here’s that excerpt:

“Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa turned in one of the better true freshman performances along the defensive side of the ball in week three. The inside linebacker was credited with three assists, one sack and interception in Notre Dame’s route of Purdue. Viliamu-Asa’s interception came in the fourth quarter off of a tipped pass. The On3 Preseason True Freshman All-American has already flashed on multiple occasions for the Irish this season, showing the instincts and propensity for being around the football that made him a four-star prospect.”

Here’s hoping there are many more big performances from Viliamu-Asa in the future.

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Notre Dame linebacker makes Freshman of the Year Award watch list

More KVA hype!

Notre Dame won a massive recruiting battle in the 2024 cycle when California linebacker [autotag]Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa[/autotag] signed with the Irish.

The 6-foot, 3-inch and 240-pound star was ranked as the country’s No. 41 overall prospect according to the 247Sports Composite Rankings. KVA had offers from every major college football power, but the Irish won the heated recruiting battle.

He enrolled in January with the objective of playing early, and was recently named as the backup Mike linebacker behind starter Drayk Bowen. The coaching staff is confident that when Viliamu-Asa’s number is called, he’ll perform at a high-level.

The Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year Award noticed him as well, naming KVA to its preseason watch list.

It won’t surprise anyone to see Viliamu-Asa play early and often, while setting himself up for future Irish success.

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On3 names two Notre Dame players to its true freshman All-American team

These two Irish freshman have very high expectations

The 2024 recruiting cycle was a prosperous one for Notre Dame football, as they signed 23 high school stars in what was ranked the No. 9 overall class by the 247Sports Composite Team Rankings.

Now that all of these prospects have enrolled, the hype turns into production. Actually, there is still some hype, in the form of preseason All-American teams. On3 released its true freshman squad on Monday, and two rising Irish stars made the list.

On offense it was tackle [autotag]Anthonie Knapp[/autotag], who has been making noise in camp and could be a starter come the season opener against Texas A&M.

Defensively, linebacker [autotag]Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa[/autotag] was the choice, which isn’t surprising at all since he was one of the highest rated signees from this past cycle. He’s not in the starting conversation, but will play a lot.

Both of these Irish stars are expected to have very good careers in Blue and Gold, and they should get on the field fairly early during year-one.

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Notre Dame Football Freshmen Earn National Recognition

Impressive resumes for a couple of incoming freshmen

Each year the National Football Foundation names a Team of Distinction of high school student-athletes that soar not just on the field, but in everything away from it including academics and community service.

This year a pair incoming Notre Dame freshmen earned the status, making them of just 84 young men nationally to earn the distinction.  The 84 were trimmed from a pool of 3,500 senior scholar athletes.

Linebacker Kyngstonn Viliamu-Aas and quarterback Anthony Rezac are the two Notre Dame freshmen to earn the status.

Viliamu-Asa graduated from football powerhouse St. John Bosco in Bellflower, Calif. while recording a ridiculous 4.28 grade-point-average through high school.  He excelled on the football field as well, being a 2023 high school Butkus Award finalist for the nation’s top linebacker.  Viliamu-Asa is seen by many as Notre Dame’s most talented player in the 2024 recruiting class.

The other player to earn the recognition was freshman quarterback Anthony Rezac of Omaha Westside High School in Nebraska.  Rezac recorded a 3.89 GPA and was recognized as the Nebraska Gatorade Player of the Year last year.  He was a two-time captain and a two-time academic all-state honoree in high school, while also serving as a member of the student council.

Congratulations to both as this is hopefully only another small step in their promising futures both on and off the field.

247Sports names this Notre Dame freshman as an instant impact recruit

The Irish could see this freshman crack the starting lineup

Notre Dame football signed one of the best recruiting classes of the 2024 cycle, with many of them enrolling early.

One of those early enrollees is linebacker [autotag]Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa[/autotag], who was ranked as the No. 4 player at his position and 41st overall prospect in the country according to the 247Sports Composite Rankings. The California native was the second highest player the Irish signed, so the expectations are high for the 6-foot, 2-inch and 233-pound linebacker.

Adding onto those expectations is Chris Hummer of 247Sports, who named Viliamu-Asa as one of his freshman All-Impact team members. His reasoning behind the choice was simple, that “there’s very little experience returning to Notre Dame at linebacker outside of veteran starter Jack Kiser.

Versatility plays a big part in KVA’s selection as well, as he has the ability to play all three linebacker spots. Many of us, including myself, are extremely excited to see what the linebacker can do this fall and beyond.

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