Maryland Coach Compares Indiana Football's Mikail Kamara to NFL Pro Bowler

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Indiana football edge rusher Mikail Kamara drew a public challenge from coach Curt Cignetti on Monday. He earned showering praise from Maryland coach Mike Locksley one day later.

While discussing Indiana's defense in his Tuesday press conference, Locksley started with linebacker Aiden Fisher and cornerback D'Angelo Ponds before pivoting to Kamara, who had one sack and one-and-a-half tackles for loss in the Hoosiers' 42-28 victory over Maryland last season.

"Individually, the Kamara kid is one of the best pass-rushers," Locksley said. "He kind of reminds me of a Yannick Ngakoue-type guy, first-step quickness, speed-to-power pass-rusher."

Ngakoue, a Pro Bowl selection in 2017, started the first seven years of his NFL career by recording at least eight sacks each season. He tallied nine-and-a-half sacks in 2021 with the Indianapolis Colts, his lone year in the Circle City. For his career, Ngakoue has made 70-and-a-half sacks.

There are size similarities between the 6-foot-2, 246-pound Ngakoue and the 6-foot-1, 262-pound Kamara, and they grew up near each other. Kamara hails from Ashburn, Va., less than 50 miles away from Bowie, Md., where Ngakoue calls home.

Now, Indiana hopes Kamara's productivity will soon return to the heights Ngakoue reached in his final year at Maryland, when he registered 13-and-a-half sacks and 15 tackles for loss in 2015.

Kamara entered the season aspiring to reach such numbers. He notched 15 tackles for loss and 10 sacks in 2024, his first year at Indiana after transferring from James Madison University, and declared in the preseason he wanted to break the Hoosiers' sack record, which currently sits at 16.

But Kamara has endured a frustrating 2025 season thus far. He has only one sack and three quarterback hits this season while adding three tackles for loss, two of which came against Kennesaw State in Week 2.

Though his numbers are down, Kamara has been Indiana's most disruptive edge defender. He has 28 total pressures and 22 quarterback hurries, both of which lead the team, according toPro Football Focus. His 80.3 pass rush grade is the best mark among the Hoosiers' defensive linemen.

Still, Cignetti said Monday he feels Kamara is playing beneath his standard.

"I think production numbers speak for themselves," Cignetti said. "I think he's got another level he can play at, and I'm waiting to see it."

Locksley hopes Kamara won't find that level when the No. 2 Hoosiers (8-0, 5-0 Big Ten) face Maryland (4-3, 1-3 Big Ten) at 3:30 p.m. Saturday inside SECU Stadium in College Park, Md., but perhaps Kamara's homecoming opens the door for a return to form — and a performance similar to ones Ngakoue delivered a decade prior in front of Terrapin fans.