DENVER – Mullen’s “Big Kahuna” is headed to South Bend.
Aidan Keanaaina signed a national letter of intent to join Notre Dame’s football program Wednesday, becoming one of more than two dozen Colorado high school athletes to do so on the first day of the early signing period.
The 6-foot-3, 292-pound Hawaiian defensive tackle earned the nickname “Big Kahuna” from his father as a nod to his Polynesian heritage and football prowess.
“I can’t thank my parents enough,” he said. “I can never repay them for everything they’ve done for me, but I can at least give them something to be proud of.”
Regarded as a three-star recruit by 247Sports.com, Keanaaina held offers from blue-chip programs Florida, Michigan, Ohio State, Penn State and USC, but he said Notre Dame offered a logical next step to continue his athletic and academic path. He’ll be wearing the same navy and gold colors at Notre Dame.
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At Mullen, a Catholic preparatory school, Keanaaina holds a 4.12 grade-point average. In his senior season for the Mustangs, he tallied 77 tackles (43 solo), including 13 tackles for loss and four sacks.
“At the point of attack, Aidan is one of the best I’ve ever seen in high school,” said departing Mullen football coach Stan Richardson. “He has great hands, great feet, and he’s relentless. I’ve never seen him miss a tackle, and he loves to finish with a slam.”
The Fighting Irish also have seen a growing core of Polynesian players since Manti Te’o’s Heisman bid in 2012. Keanaaina joins defensive lineman Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa and linebacker Marist Liufau among the Polynesians on the Fighting Irish roster next season.
“My culture means everything to me,” Keanaaina said. “Being a Polynesian, itap like a big collective family. It wasn’t the No. 1 factor, but itap a benefit. Notre Dame has culture I can be a part of.”
