As Indiana football gets set to open the 2025 season Saturday, it marks the beginning of one last go-around for the team’s defensive stalwarts.
Linebacker Aiden Fisher and defensive end Mikail Kamara grew up just 90 minutes away from each other: Fisher in Fredericksburg, Va. and Kamara in Ashburn. Fisher arrived at James Madison after Kamara had already spent two seasons with the Dukes.
Their college football paths have since become intertwined. The duo helped JMU find immediate success after moving up to FBS, before following head coach Curt Cignetti and his staff to Bloomington. And all they’ve done since joining the Hoosiers is help lead them to one of the best seasons in program history and become All-Americans.
And now, all eyeballs are on Fisher and Kamara as they aim even higher this year.
“It’s amazing,” Fisher said about his journey with Kamara. “We got in, I think I was a year or two after him at JMU, and then just kind of keeping this thing rolling together. It’s been great.”
Fisher immediately stepped into a leadership role at IU last year, and his performance backed up that position. He finished third in the Big Ten in tackles, and he led the Hoosiers in tackles in seven games. The then-junior also made on-field checks for Indiana’s defense, making sure his teammates were set up properly and making quick adjustments.
His communication, both on and off the field, has stood out to Maryland transfer Kellan Wyatt, who’s seen Fisher as both a teammate and an opponent.
“Aiden’s like the alpha on the defense. He’s talking to everybody. He doesn’t just talk to the backers” Wyatt said. “He’s talking to people behind him, people in front of him. And he’s always been that type of guy. I’d seen him last year, I’m on the sideline watching him, and he’s the loudest player on the field. And it’s already loud in the stadium enough. So just playing with a guy like that who knows how to communicate really well, I think it makes everybody else’s job pretty easy.”
Kamara dominated last season, at levels not often reached by an Indiana football player.
He posted 10 sacks, good for fourth in the Big Ten, and IU’s first double-digit sack season in 16 years. His 15 tackles for loss ranked third in the conference. Pro Football Focus graded Kamara at 86.4 overall, putting him 23rd in the country and sixth in the Big Ten among edge defenders. He was difficult to stop in the pass rush, and held his own enough against the run to be a constant thorn in the side of opposing offensive lines.
Kamara seriously considered entering the NFL Draft after last season. Few are as happy as Fisher that he decided to return to Bloomington.
“I was really happy with the decision he made to come back, for not only himself, but for me, too. It’s good to have him back,” Fisher said. “I’ve seen him take so many steps, from taking care of his body, to being a leader. Just everything that you want in a guy like that, and a leader on your defensive line.”
Kamara was very open in fall camp about his ambitious goals for this season. He visions himself becoming Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year, and breaking the all-time sack record at Indiana. And he’s genuine about those targets, believing anything is possible with the work he puts into his craft.
That work ethic, along with that sort of self-belief, sets an example for teammates. And Kamara is just as vocal in leading the defensive line.
“When it comes to the film room, I’m making sure I’m more and more vocal now. So when I see some of the younger guys or some of the other guys make mistakes, or even make good plays, I’m always making sure my voice is heard so they understand how to get it done,” Kamara said. “On the field, it’s just making sure I’m bringing energy every single time. Cause if I’m dragging, then everyone else is going to think it’s okay to drag. So as long as I continue to bring my energy and make sure everyone else raises up to my level, raises up to our standard, and not for me to fall back and meet them at the bottom.”
Fisher and Kamara are a big reason why Indiana enters 2025 with such a strong outlook. The Hoosiers have two of their best players back from a defense that was one of the best in the nation last year, and there’s no reason to expect any steps back from that duo.
This is it for both Fisher and Kamara in college football. They’ll both exhaust their eligibility this season.
Saturday’s game against Old Dominion is the beginning of the final chapter of two already great careers. They’re looking to back up their 2024 success and go out on a strong note.
The drive for doing that has meant both putting in the work individually to step up their games, and leading the way for teammates to do the same thing. Western Kentucky transfer Hosea Wheeler, after less than a full year with Fisher and Kamara, is one of many across IU’s roster who holds them in high regard.
“They’re great. They push me to be my best. I haven’t seen my true potential without them,” Wheeler said. “They give me the confidence I need. You need guys on the field like you can trust and you can rely on. And I don’t need to think twice about what I got on the field with me.”
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