Kahanu Kia jumped at the chance to move from linebacker to help mitigate some defensive line attrition this past season for Notre Dame by becoming an undersized vyper end.

The 6-foot-1, 217-pound freshman from Kaneohe, Hawaii, flashed enough potential to see action in seven games for the Irish (11-2) in a reserve role and on special teams. His football future is promising, but now decidedly is on hold.

Instead of returning to Notre Dame for the spring semester of his freshman year, Kia will instead take a two-year Mormon Mission, presumably returning for ND’s spring semester in 2024.

In the interim, his scholarship won’t count against the NCAA-allowable maximum of 85 and he is not bound to return to ND, though most student-athletes coming back from missions do return to their original schools.

Kia made the announcement Monday on Twitter, and in doing so stated his intentions to resume with the Irish.

More than 80 percent of young males who are active in the Church of Jesus Christ take missions, usually before or around their 19th birthday. Kia said his mission will take place in Raleigh, N.C.

Former Irish linebacker Manti Te’o in the winter of 2010 was among the LDS members who played football at ND in recent years who deferred or decided against taking a mission. Chris Badger, later in 2010, did indeed take his mission.

The next time Kia suits up in a game for the Irish he’ll be a sophomore in the 2024 season and will have three seasons of eligibility remaining.

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