SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Less than nine months after his second ACL tear, Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa looked like he had never left. The Notre Dame linebacker, better known simply as KVA, made his season debut Saturday against Rice, finishing with five tackles and a fumble recovery in the Irish’s dominant win.

For head coach Marcus Freeman, the production was almost secondary to what Viliamu-Asa brought back to the defense.

“Man, Kyng, it’s great to have him back out there,” Freeman said. “He is a great football player, we all know that hands-down, but he also provides a little bit of energy and passion for everybody, and you saw that on Saturday with some of the plays he made.”

But before he was fighting his way back onto the field in South Bend, Viliamu-Asa’s Notre Dame story started more than 2,000 miles away in Southern California. The Bellflower native arrived in South Bend as one of the nation’s top linebacker prospects and the Los Angeles Times’ Player of the Year following his senior season.

There was just one problem when he enrolled early in January: He was not exactly dressed for Indiana.

“My first winter was pretty rough,” Viliamu-Asa said. “I got here the first week of January my freshman year and, coming from Cali, I had no winter clothes. So I hopped off the plane with shorts and a T-shirt, and some of my other teammates who came with me were looking at me crazy.”

The weather adjustment did not slow him down for long. Viliamu-Asa appeared in all 14 games as a true freshman before taking on a larger role and eventually becoming a starter.

Then came another obstacle.

His season was cut short by a torn ACL, an injury he already knew all too well after suffering an ACL tear in high school. This time, the road back took less than nine months. Against Rice, No. 27 was back in the middle of Notre Dame’s defense making plays again.

At his best, Viliamu-Asa gives Notre Dame versatility in the middle of its defense. He can attack downhill against the run. He can blitz. He can deliver a hit. But teammates say one of his biggest weapons does not show up in the box score.

Energy.

Defensive lineman Bryce Young has been alongside Viliamu-Asa throughout their time at Notre Dame, and he said getting his teammate back changes the feel of the defense.

“Kyngstonn, he’s my brother for real. Love him to death,” Young said. “It’s been very cool just how he’s been helping me grow and how I’ve helped him grow since we’ve been here. Having him back on the field has been so cool.”

Viliamu-Asa’s return also brings back a player whose long-term ceiling could eventually spark NFL conversations. He’s got the type of skill set evaluators will watch closely. But, his injury history — two ACL tears — will also naturally be part of any future evaluation.

But those are conversations for later. Notre Dame is only entering Week 3. And judging by Viliamu-Asa’s reaction, he is not interested in making his return feel overly dramatic.

“I feel like I’ve been here the whole time,” Viliamu-Asa said with a smile.

For Notre Dame, it might feel that way, too.

No. 27 is back.