Notre Dame washout turned Cal disruptor who parlayed a breakout transfer season into a $300,000 guaranteed undrafted deal with the Lions.
Aidan Keanaaina barely played in his first stint in college football, managing just 11 tackles across multiple seasons at Notre Dame. A transfer to California changed his trajectory, and Detroit rewarded the turnaround with one of the richest undrafted contracts in its 2026 rookie class as the Lions look for a true nose tackle on the interior.
Path to the league
Keanaaina began his college career at Notre Dame, where he saw limited action and totaled only 11 tackles. He transferred to California and quickly became a key piece of the Golden Bears' defensive front, using that production to land an undrafted free agent deal with the Detroit Lions worth $300,000 guaranteed after the 2026 draft.
Career highlights
At 6-foot-3 and over 320 pounds, Keanaaina earned honorable mention All-ACC recognition at Cal as an interior disruptor. He finished his college career with 111 tackles and three sacks, the bulk of that production coming after his move from Notre Dame.
2025 season recap
Keanaaina's final college season at Cal in 2025 was his best, as he racked up 56 total tackles and 1.5 sacks anchoring the defensive interior. That production helped make him one of the more sought-after undrafted defensive tackles once the 2026 NFL Draft closed.
Sources
- ESPN: Aidan Keanaaina
- SI/OnSI: Lions UDFA Profile - Aidan Keanaaina
Player Profile
Background
- Position
- Defensive Tackle
- Group
- defense
- College
- California
- Hometown
- Brighton, CO, USA
- Age
- 24
- Status
- active
