An Iowa Falls native who led the Hawkeyes in tackles in his lone year as a starter, then went to Arizona in the sixth round.
Karson Sharar waited through injury setbacks and a crowded Iowa linebacker room before finally getting his shot as a starter in 2025 - and he made the most of it, leading the Hawkeyes in tackles. The Arizona Cardinals drafted the Iowa Falls native in the sixth round of the 2026 NFL Draft, continuing Kirk Ferentz's long pipeline of linebackers to the pros.
Path to the league
Sharar grew up in Iowa Falls, Iowa, and attended Iowa Falls-Alden High School before committing to play for the hometown Hawkeyes. He redshirted as a freshman in 2021 and battled through injuries in 2022, then worked as a role player in 2023 and 2024 before finally earning a starting job in 2025.
Career highlights
Sharar played in 48 games across his Iowa career with 13 starts, finishing with 104 tackles, 13.5 tackles for loss and four sacks. He became the 11th linebacker drafted during the Kirk Ferentz era and the first Hawkeye linebacker selected since Jack Campbell in 2023.
2025 season recap
In his only season as a starter, Sharar led Iowa in tackles with 83 stops, adding 12 tackles for loss, four sacks and a forced fumble. That breakout earned him All-Big Ten Honorable Mention recognition from both coaches and media, and the Cardinals selected him in the sixth round, 183rd overall, of the 2026 NFL Draft.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Karson Sharar
- Iowa Hawkeyes Athletics: Sharar Selected by Arizona in 6th Round of NFL Draft
Player Profile
Background
- Position
- Linebacker
- Group
- defense
- College
- Iowa
- Hometown
- Iowa Falls, IA, USA
- Age
- 23
- Status
- active
