Mikail Kamara is Fully Healthy and Giving 110-Percent to Turn IUFB Around

Image: Indiana University Athletics

Written by Sammy Jacobs (@Hoosier_Huddle)

The Indiana defensive line has been talked about at length all off season and throughout the spring. One of the bright spots of the spring football game was edge rusher Makail Kamara, a transfer from James Madison.

Kamara was an All-Sun Belt performer in 2023 making 17.5 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks, but his career with the Dukes was not always easy.

“My freshman year (and) sophomore year, I missed a lot of games from surgery and from ankle injuries.” Kamara explained. “I think I just needed to go out there and play some games (and get) more game experience. And then once I kind of got over the hump of the injuries, I was able to play a lot faster. I was able to work out harder than that. Ultimately transforming to becoming a lot better player.”

Injuries can be spirit breaking, but for Kamara it was a learning opportunity.

“I'm actually grateful for it. I think God kind of puts you in a space in which you need to grow. And I think those injuries allowed me to grow and allowed me to understand perseverance, and understand and then often gain a new love for the game. Because at that point I kind of realized like, this game can be taken away at any moment. Doesn't matter if it's practice, doesn't matter if it's the game. So every single time I come on to practice every single time I go on a game I'm like this last chance. So I go 110-percent Every single time.” said during spring practice.

For Karama he has a personal checklist of what he wants to do for the Hoosiers.

“My first main goal is I want to learn how to turn this program around a lot. I hear a lot of a lot of people that I talk to say of the transfers coming here and they say 'oh, we're gonna change the program' and they don't really believe in us. I mean, people might be saying that they believe in us and they're excited for Cig to be here and I'm excited for for a new program but they don't really believe in us so far. That's that's the first thing I want to do. I want to put us on on the map.” Kamara said.

Kamara’s second goal is more for personal accomplishment and wanting to show his skills off in the Big Ten on his journey to the NFL.

“I just want to become a league guy. I'm trying to play this season, get whatever accolades and make my journey to the next level.” Kamara said.

If Kamara can put together an All-Big Ten season and find his way to the league, it would mean he had a big season for the Hoosiers. That is something that has been missing off the edge in Bloomington for a long time.