A pressure machine who led the Big Ten in quarterback pressures and was named defensive MVP of the national championship game before signing with San Francisco.
Mikail Kamara followed head coach Curt Cignetti from James Madison to Indiana and turned into one of the sport's most disruptive pass rushers, capped by a defensive MVP performance in the College Football Playoff National Championship. He signed with the 49ers as an undrafted free agent in 2026.
Path to the league
Kamara started his college career at James Madison, starting all six games as a freshman during the COVID-shortened 2020 season before missing 2021 with an injury. He transferred to Indiana in 2024 to reunite with coach Curt Cignetti and went undrafted in the 2026 NFL Draft before signing with San Francisco.
Career highlights
Kamara earned first-team All-Big Ten and third-team All-American honors in 2024 after recording 10.0 sacks, and he followed that by leading the Big Ten with 59 quarterback pressures in 2025. Across 2024 and 2025 combined, he led the nation with 127 quarterback pressures.
2025 season recap
Kamara started all 16 games during Indiana's undefeated 2025 season and was named defensive MVP of the College Football Playoff National Championship after blocking a punt that teammate Isaiah Jones recovered. The performance capped a dominant final college season and helped him land with the 49ers as an undrafted free agent.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Mikail Kamara
- ESPN: Mikail Kamara
Player Profile
Background
- Position
- Defensive End
- Group
- injuredReserveOrOut
- College
- Indiana
- Hometown
- Ashburn, VA, USA
- Age
- 24
- Status
- day-to-day
