After Indiana football earned bowl eligibility for the first time in four seasons, Mikail Kamara said being 6-0 wasn’t the goal. Instead, the goal was to win a national championship.
So, after Indiana fell to the University of Notre Dame in the College Football Playoff First Round on Dec. 20, the goal was no longer a reality. The Hoosiers came up four victories short of their final destination.
And while he would’ve likely been selected in the NFL Draft, Kamara announced he’s returning for his final season in Bloomington, according to his X post Wednesday.
Kamara said in the post that the Hoosiers’ loss to the Fighting Irish left a “real bitter taste” in his mouth.
The Ashburn, Virginia, native finished third in the Big Ten in sacks (10) and second in tackles for loss (15). He also accumulated 47 total tackles over the Hoosiers’ 13 games.
Kamara transferred to Indiana after three seasons at James Madison University, following Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti to Bloomington.
His return means five of Indiana’s 11 defensive starters will be back for the 2025 season: sophomore cornerback D’Angelo Ponds, junior linebacker Aiden Fisher, redshirt junior defensive back Jamier Johnson, sophomore defensive back Amare Ferrell and Kamara.
Six of the Hoosiers’ defensive starters this season exhausted their eligibility: defensive linemen CJ West, James Carpenter and Lanell Carr Jr., defensive backs Terry Jones Jr. and Shawn Asbury II and linebacker Jailin Walker.
The Hoosiers also have brought in two defensive linemen out of the transfer portal: former Western Kentucky University redshirt junior Hosea Wheeler and former Texas State University redshirt junior Dominique Ratcliff.
While finishing 11-2 marked the Hoosiers’ best season in program history, Cignetti and company have brought in 10 transfers and have now regained their stout pass rusher in Kamara for 2025.
Follow reporters Daniel Flick (@ByDanielFlick) and Dalton James (@DaltonMJames) and columnist Jhett Garrett (@jhettgarrett) for updates throughout the Indiana football offseason.
