The Indiana Hoosiers are coming off their best season in program history — and it didn’t take long for first-year head coach Curt Cignetti to put the rest of the Big Ten on notice. Now, the program is starting to get the national recognition that comes with winning.
And The Athletic (formerly part of the New York Times) is taking note.
In its latest ranking of the top 25 players in the Big Ten, the Hoosiers landed a name inside the top five. That name? Mikail Kamara — Indiana’s breakout edge rusher who came in at No. 5 overall.
The only players ahead of him: Ohio State’s Caleb Downs and Jeremiah Smith, Penn State running back Nicholas Singleton, and Oregon defensive lineman Matayo Uiagalelei. That’s some elite company.
The Athletic didn’t hold back in its praise of Kamara, writing:
“The fifth-year senior from Virginia, who followed coach Curt Cignetti from James Madison to Bloomington, didn’t let the jump in competition from the Sun Belt faze him last season. He earned first-team All-Big Ten honors, producing 15 tackles for loss and 10 sacks while leading the FBS in total pressures (68), according to Pro Football Focus.”
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Now entering his sixth college season, Kamara brings more experience than almost any edge rusher in the country. His production speaks for itself — and so does the motor. He’s a relentless, disruptive presence off the edge, and he’ll be the heart of Indiana’s front seven this fall.
NFL scouts are already watching. And after what he did last season, it’s not just Indiana fans paying attention anymore.
Kamara heads into 2025 as one of the most dangerous returning defenders in college football — and a major reason why Indiana’s defense has a chance to take another leap under Cignetti. If the Hoosiers are going to build on last year’s momentum, it’ll likely start with No. 8 wrecking things in the backfield.