BLOOMINGTON — Indiana defensive end Mikail Kamara wasn’t shy about the lofty goals he set this season.
During fall camp, Kamara talked about aiming to set the IU single-season sack record, currently 16 (Greg Middleton, 2007). His actual goal was even higher than that.
“You’ve got to aim higher than you can even believe. I feel like if you aim higher, if you fall, it’s going to be still spectacular. So I set that goal at 20 sacks,” Kamara said in August. “I’ll say it again, I set it at 20 sacks. Worst-case scenario, I fall and I break the sack record.”
But Kamara’s season hasn’t panned out that way. The redshirt senior has been productive, with a team-high 28 QB pressures, per Pro Football Focus. But Kamara has recorded only one sack — against Kennesaw State in week 2 — and three tackles for loss this season. Two of those TFLs came against Kennesaw, and he’s added 0.5 TFLs against Michigan State and UCLA. The Ashburn, Va. native briefly left the UCLA game on Saturday in some discomfort and appeared to receive attention for his arm or shoulder, before returning to action.
The Hoosiers’ defensive line has been dominant this season, but Kamara hasn’t been the linchpin he was expected to be entering this year. And head coach Curt Cignetti thinks he’s capable of being that type of player again.
“I think production numbers speak for themselves,” Cignetti said Monday, on Kamara’s lower-than-expected statistics. “I think he’s got another level he can play at. And I’m waiting to see it.”
Kamara led Indiana last season with 15 TFLs and 10 sacks. He was named a second-team All American by The Athletic and third team by the Associated Press, and he also earned first-team All-Big Ten honors.
But this season has been tough for Kamara. Opponents have paid more attention to him, and he’s faced more double-teams this year than he did last season. That’s been part of why his defensive line teammates have been so productive. But the Hoosiers need Kamara to be the game-wrecker he can be to reach their full potential as a team.
Perhaps Cignetti’s challenge will light a fire for Kamara going into the last month of the regular season.
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