Amid Hard Season, Indiana Football Needs Mikail Kamara at His Best in Rose Bowl

LOS ANGELES — While Mikail Kamara glanced at the table around him, eyed those who constitute Indiana football's defensive line room and reached the conclusion he's 2 years older, minimum, than the rest of the group.

"I'm 'Unc,'" Kamara said, chuckling.

Kamara joked he lives in the Hoosiers' training room. The sixth-year senior said he "feels a little bit old," in part due to the age around him — but also the wear and tear his body has endured in an individually challenging season.

Kamara suffered a shoulder stinger injury during the middle of the Hoosiers' unblemished regular season. The nerve ailment bothered the rest of the muscles in his arm and, subsequently, made him weaker on the field.

The Ashburn, Va., native played only one defensive series in Indiana's 31-7 victory over Wisconsin on Nov. 15 and spent the ensuing bye week working closely with the Hoosiers' training staff. He strengthened his shoulders through rehab, rest and recovery.

"I feel like I'm exactly where I need to be," Kamara said. "I feel like I'm more back at home at my field end position with 'Duke' playing stud. I definitely do feel more comfortable playing that position. I feel good. I feel completely just mellow and ready to go."

"I feel like I'm kind of past that now," Kamara said. "I've had time to recover. So, I'm feeling a little bit better now."

Kamara's 2025 campaign hasn't gone according to plan. During Big Ten Media Days in July, Kamara, a first-team All-Big Ten selection in 2024, said he aspired to break the Hoosiers' program sack record — set at 16.5 — and reach 20 sacks.

He's fallen well short of the mark.

Entering the Rose Bowl, Kamara has collected five tackles for loss, one sack and four quarterback hits in 13 games. He's been disruptive, leading Indiana with 48 total pressures and 40 hurries, according to Pro Football Focus.

But on the surface, Kamara's season — from an individual, statistic-based perspective — appears disappointing. He views it through a different lens.

"I feel like I've had a pretty great year," Kamara said. "With the things I've been dealing with behind the scenes, a few injuries, and even just playing different positions and dealing with different attentions from offensive lines and things like that, I think I've handled it well.

"I think I could've handled it a little bit better, retrospectively, but I feel like the sky's really the limit still. So, I still feel really confident."

Kamara faced more double teams and chips from tight ends this season than last. He's no longer the under-the-radar transfer who stormed onto the scene in 2024. Opposing offensive lines put a focal point on slowing him down. Still, he feels he could've made more plays.

Kamara also believe he should have taken care of his body "a little bit better" throughout the fall.

"I think that's probably the biggest thing that kind of dropped me a little bit," Kamara said. "Just dealing with my body, staying healthy throughout the entire season, throughout camp and everything. I had sparks of my body feeling good, sparks of my body feeling bad.

"That's probably the biggest thing I just got to clean up and take care of that at the next level."

Kamara never let his on-field drop in production influence the way he led his teammates. Sophomore defensive tackle Mario Landino gave significant credit for breakthrough campaign to Kamara, who helped with his footwork, hand placement and mentality.

Senior linebacker Aiden Fisher acknowledged Kamara's season could've been frustrating, but he prioritized team, and defensive, success over his own personal gain.

Be it taking on additional blocks or accepting more attention so others can capitalize on one-on-one matchups, Kamara's presence directly contributed to Indiana's top-ranked defense. And he never wavered from his team-first mentality.

"There's no selfishness with him," Fisher said. "It's all about the team, all about, 'How can we be the best defensive unit we can be?' And he's been phenomenal with it off the field. Never a moment where he's been like, 'Woe is me,' or he's not having the year that he wants.

"It's just all about the team and about winning. And he's done a great job on and off the field about it."

Kamara has Alabama's attention. Junior left tackle Kadyn Proctor centered his assessment of Indiana's defense primarily around Kamara, who has at least a half-tackle for loss in five of the Hoosiers' past seven games.

"The powerful aspect," Proctor said. "He's got twitch to him, he's got a slipperiness to him. You see how he falls off blocks and just gets to the ball all the time."

Indiana needs Kamara at his best for Thursday's College Football Playoff opener. The Hoosiers lost starting edge defender Kellan Wyatt to a season-ending knee injury against Michigan State on Oct. 18, and his replacement, defensive end Stephen Daley, suffered a knee injury while celebrating the Hoosiers' Big Ten championship game victory over Ohio State on Dec. 6.

Sophomore edge rusher Daniel Ndukwe is in line for a larger role against Alabama. But there's now a larger onus on Kamara, who has moved back from the "stud" position to field defensive end.

Kamara, however, doesn't feel any pressure.

Kamara leaned back in his chair and sat in a cream-clad hoodie with a Rose Bowl logo placed across his chest. He's long spoken of championship aspirations, of taking Indiana to heights it's never reached.

Winning the Rose Bowl is a box the Hoosiers have never checked. Kamara wants to be part of history — but even then, he has his sights set on greater moments.

Kamara wants a national championship. The first step in a three-leg race comes Thursday afternoon.

"I came back to try to win a national championship," Kamara said. "I didn't come back to try to win a Big Ten Championship. I didn't come back to try to go 12-0. I came back to try to win a Natty as best as I can. I feel like I've played my role in being able to play multiple positions, but I feel like the dream is still not over yet.

"This is beautiful to be where I'm at, for sure, but we've got to go win that Natty."