Indiana Football Position Previews: Mikail Kamara Addition Gives Edge Rush A Boost

A look at Indiana’s defensive ends for the 2024 season.

Indiana's Mikail Kamara (6) works against Indiana's Trey Wedig (75) during the Indiana football spring game at Memorial Stadaium on Thursday, April 18, 2024. / Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Among the many things Indiana struggled to do in 2023 was rush the quarterback.

The Hoosiers only had 20 sacks for the season. Their paltry average of 1.67 sacks per game ranked them 106th nationally, and that poor performance contributed to an 86th-rated pass defense because quarterbacks had so much time to weigh their options.

Making matters worse, sacks rarely came from the edge spots. Linebacker Aaron Casey led the Hoosiers with 6.5 sacks. Only Lanell Carr Jr., with five sacks, somewhat consistently pressured opposing quarterbacks from the edge.

With Indiana adopting a 4-2-5 scheme under new head coach Curt Cignetti, the edge spot will be emphasized to put the Hoosiers’ defense on better footing.

As it is with so many other Indiana units, Cignetti elected to create a brew with equal parts existing talent as well as players he trusts from his previous stint at James Madison.

Personnel

• #7 Jacob Mangum-Farrar: graduate student, 6-foot-5, 256 pounds, played 26 games at Stanford, played 12 games at Indiana.

• #6 Mikail Kamara: redshirt junior, 6-foot-1, 265 pounds, 23 games at James Madison.

• #18 Andrew Turvy: redshirt junior, 6-foot-2, 252 pounds, 12 games at Indiana.

• #41 Lanell Carr Jr.: redshirt junior, 6-foot-2, 246 pounds, 27 games at West Virginia, 12 games at Indiana.

• #57 Ebon Person: junior, 6-foot-3, 205 pounds, 18 games at Anderson University.

• #50 Venson Sneed Jr.: redshirt sophomore, 6-foot-4, 266 pounds, 14 games at Indiana.

• #58 Aden Cannon: redshirt sophomore, 6-foot-6, 268 pounds.

• #42 Andrew Depeape: redshirt freshman, 6-foot-5, 260 pounds, transfer from Michigan State.

• #47 Finn Walters: redshirt freshman, 6-foot-4, 247 pounds.

• #49 Ta’Derius Collins: redshirt freshman, 6-foot-4, 250 pounds.

• #91 Daniel Ndukwe: freshman, 6-foot-3, 239 pounds.

• #98 William Depaepe: freshman, 6-foot-6, 244 pounds.

Top expected contributors: Lanell Carr Jr., Mikhail Kamara, Jacob Mangum-Farrar, Venson Sneed Jr., Ta’Derius Collins, Andrew Depaepe.

Contributors who departed from the 2023 team: Andre Carter (to Jacksonville Jaguars, NFL), Myles Jackson (to Tulsa).

Transfer infusion

Redshirt junior Mikail Kamara was the big addition from the transfer portal – yet another player Cignetti trusts that came with him from JMU.

The statistics bear out Cignetti’s confidence in the Ashburn, Va., native. Kamara had 6.5 sacks and an impressive 17.5 tackles for loss in an All-Sun Belt second-team performance for the Dukes.

Indiana Hoosiers defensive lineman Mikail Kamara (6) forces Indiana Hoosiers quarterback Kurtis Rourke (9) out of the pocket during the Indiana football spring game at Memorial Stadium on Thursday, April 18, 2024. / Bobby Goddin/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK

Over his career, Kamara has 11.5 sacks in two seasons with 23 tackles for loss. Kamara has thrived despite early injury issues with shoulder and ankle injuries.

“I just needed to go out there and play. I just needed more game experience. Once I got over the hump of the injuries, I was able to play a lot faster, work out harder and it transformed me into a lot better player,” Kamara said during Indiana’s spring practices.

“I’m actually grateful for it. God puts you in a space in which you need to grow. Those injuries allowed me to grow. It allowed me to understand perseverance and gain a new love for the game,” Kamara added.

Cignetti said Kamara has raised his game since he arrived at Indiana.

“I think the one guy that’s really upped his game is Kamara. You saw that in the spring and it’s continued into the fall. He’s just playing at another level,” Cignetti said on Monday.

Much like fellow JMU transfer – defensive tackle James Carpenter – Kamara rarely leaves the field. He ranks 10th nationally in snaps played (722) in 2023 among players returning, according to pff.com.

The other transfers are Andrew Depeape, who came from Michigan State where he was redshirted. Andrew Depaepe joins true freshman brother William on the Hoosiers roster. Also coming in is Anderson University transfer Ebon Person.

Returning players

Indiana's Lanell Carr Jr. (41) pressures Indiana State's Evan Olaes (7) during the first half of the Indiana versus Indiana State football game at Memorial Stadium on Friday, Sept. 8, 2023. / Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK

Carr Jr. and Jacob Mangum-Farrar, the two returning Hoosiers who played the most in 2023, have a wealth of experience.

Carr Jr. played 27 games at West Virginia from 2020-22 before arriving in Bloomington last season. He proved he could hold his own in Big Ten play as four of his five sacks and all but 1.5 of his 8.5 tackles for loss came in conference contests.

“We’re just getting back into the swing of things,” said Cignetti on Carr Jr., who missed spring practice with an injury. “I like the way he’s progressing. He’s a good player.”

Oct 14, 2023; Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA; Michigan Wolverines wide receiver Tyler Morris (8) is tackled by Indiana Hoosiers linebacker Jacob Mangum-Farrar (7) in the first half at Michigan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports / Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

Mangum-Farrar was a steady presence in 2023, with 63 overall tackles and one sack. This comes after Mangum-Farrar played 39 games over four seasons for Stanford.

“JMF can play either side. He played in the boundary a lot in the spring, but he’s getting better every day,” Cignetti said.

Redshirt sophomore Venson Sneed Jr. played 112 snaps for the Hoosiers in 2023 and had five tackles. He’ll provide depth. Redshirt junior Andrew Turvy is also back, though he was more of a special teams player in 2023.

Te’Derius Collins and Aden Cannon, both of whom were redshirted in 2023, could also find themselves in the mix.

The bottom line

With the addition of Kamara, Indiana should be able to provide a pass rush from both sides of the field, something it didn’t always have in 2023 with on-again, off-again performance from departed Andre Carter.

With three experienced players to draw on, Indiana’s pass rush should have a bit more bite in 2024.

Related stories on Indiana football

• DEFENSIVE TACKLES PREVIEW: James Carpenter, a James Madison transfer, leads a group that is laden with transfers. CLICK HERE.

• LINEBACKERS PREVIEW: As it is with so many other positions on the field, Indiana coach Curt Cignetti places his trust in James Madison transfers. CLICK HERE.

• CORNERBACKS PREVIEW: D'Angelo Ponds is an exciting addition for Indiana as the Hoosiers try to improve their pass defense. CLICK HERE.