A well-traveled linebacker who went from Pittsburgh to South Carolina to Kansas before earning a Vikings roster spot with a strong rookie minicamp tryout.
Bangally Kamara's path to the NFL ran through three different college programs before he landed with the Vikings. After stops at Pittsburgh and South Carolina, he settled in as Kansas' starting weak-side linebacker for a single season in 2024, then went unselected in the 2026 draft before impressing Minnesota enough at a rookie minicamp tryout to earn a contract.
Path to the league
Kamara began his college career at Pittsburgh from 2020 to 2023, transferred to South Carolina for the 2024 season, and finished his collegiate run at Kansas in 2025. He went unselected in the 2026 NFL Draft, then signed with the Vikings after a standout performance at the team's rookie minicamp tryout.
Career highlights
In his lone season at Kansas, the 6-foot-2, 235-pound Kamara started nine of 11 games as the Jayhawks' weak-side linebacker, earning all-conference honorable mention recognition. Scouts have pegged him as a developmental linebacker with special teams upside given his multi-program college resume.
2025 season recap
Kamara's 2025 season at Kansas was his final and most productive college campaign, posting 56 total tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, four passes defensed and a forced fumble across 11 games. That performance was enough to get him into the Vikings' rookie minicamp, where his tryout play earned him a contract that spring.
Sources
- ESPN: Bangally Kamara
- Vikings.com: Bangally Kamara
Player Profile
Background
- Position
- Linebacker
- Group
- defense
- College
- Kansas
- Hometown
- Akron, OH, USA
- Age
- 24
- Status
- active
