Kingsley Suamataia found his home. Expectations were high a year ago after the Kansas City Chiefs invested a second-round pick in the 6-foot-4, 326-pound phenom from BYU.
In 2024 Kingsley started the Chiefs first two games of the season and struggled right out of the gate. He was benched in Week 3 and for the rest of his rookie season only played limited snaps in jumbo packages on offenses and some light special teams duty.
Coming into his 2025 sophomore campaign the Chiefs switched him to left guard, and Suamataia took to his new position like a duck to water.
This season he started all 17 games and played quite well. His 65.1 PFF grade was solid, ranking him No. 36 of 81 NFL guards, so putting him in the top half of the league at his position. While that's nowhere near Pro Bowl territory, context is also important. He just finished playing his Age-22 season while adapting to a new position and did so with above average performance, and that's a massive step forward in carving out a long, successful NFL career.
Kingsley's time at BYU
While Suamataia played high school football in BYU's backyard at Orem High School, he originally committed to Oregon in the class of 2021. Suamataia was a 5-star recruit coming out of high school and the No. 32 prospect nationally, so it stung BYU fans to see him end up in Eugene.
But after just one season with the Ducks, he entered the transfer portal and found his way back home.
His decision to come to Provo had "nothing to do with football," per an interview with Jeff Hanson of 247 Sports, but rather for "happiness and life." He found his happiness at BYU and was an outstanding left tackle in the 2022 and 2023 seasons, allowing just two sacks. He was named All-Big 12 Second Team in his final year with the program.
Kingsley Suamataia has had a few homes over the last several years from Orem to Eugene to Provo to Kansas City.
He now has a new home on the football field, too, as a young left guard with massive long-term potential.