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It was a drama free National Signing Day for the Notre Dame program. The Irish had 23 commits heading into Wednesday, and by 10:22 AM eastern time, the class was fully signed and done.

The lone rumor that was flying around out there leading up to Signing day was centered around elite 2024 Bellflower (Calif.) St. John Bosco linebacker Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa, who had been committed to the Irish since July. There was a report that Ohio State was making a hard push, and could flip him late.

According to his mother, Taliuta Viliamu-Asa, that flip was never even under consideration. The option wasn’t even on the table.

"It was always Irish from the get go,” Viliamu-Asa told Irish Breakdown. "People focused more attention on what he was wearing. The gloves he was wearing or the shirts he was wearing and some of his workouts, he would be wearing different gear. But from July, 23rd on to today, Wednesday and forward, it's always been the Irish. There was no doubt about it at all.”

The recruiting process can be overwhelming at times. Even when recruits do it right, let their process play out, commit and stay committed, drama always seems to ensue. The Viliamu-Asa family is very happy for Kyngstonn to finally sign and finally close that chapter of their journey.

"So for us, it's like, thank God it's over with,” she said. "Nobody needs to talk anymore. We're grateful and thankful that his decision and his commitment landed the way that it did.”

It ended on Wednesday with a ceremony at St. John Bosco. Kyngstonn was able to enjoy the moment with his family, teammates, coaches and supporters. It was a special moment for his parents, who were there every step of the way.

"It was very special for me,” his mother explained. "I had to reflect on the whole process and just think about what we did as his parents and how he executed the plan, how he was as a person, and his perseverance that succeeded at the end of all this.

"So for me, I was just reflecting on the whole journey from four years old till now, even including the downtime of when he was injured,” she continued. "That includes having to take that whole sophomore season off. I mean, I think I felt him standing on the sidelines and in times where he could have helped his team and in times where it hurt me to see him sidelined. I knew that that downtime would be special, a setback for a greater comeback. So I was just reflecting on the whole process and the whole journey.”

In the first week of January, Viliamu-Asa is set to participate in the 2024 All-American Bowl in San Antonio, Texas. From there, the talented defender will be enrolling early at Notre Dame the next week. It was a long journey, but it ended just the way it was always intended, in blue and gold. 

Be sure to check out the Irish Breakdown message board, the Champions Lounge

This article first appeared on Notre Dame Fighting Irish on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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