Yale safety Abu Kamara returns in 2026 as one of the best FCS defensive players.
Kamara is a back-to-back All-American and First Team All-Ivy League selection.
In 2024, he led the Bulldogs with 84 tackles, including two tackles for loss, two interceptions, five pass breakups, and three forced fumbles. Last season, as Yale advanced to the second round of the playoffs, Kamara tallied 76 tackles, 6.5 TFLs, 3.5 sacks, three forced fumbles, four fumble recoveries, two interceptions, one pick-six, and 13 pass breakups.
In an impressive second-round defensive performance against eventual national champs Montana State, the 6-foot-1 and 208-pounder registered six tackles, 0.5 TFLs, two forced fumbles, and two pass breakups.
His 84.6 overall PFF defensive grade ranked No. 12 among FCS safeties.
Kamara earned First Team All-American honors from FCS Football Central, Stats Perform, and the AFCA, plus Second Team honors from the AP.
Along with the multiple All-American accolades, Kamara was named the Ivy League Defensive Player of the Year and finished 15th in 2025 Buck Buchanan Award voting.
Entering 2026, Kamara was named captain of Team 153.
“I’m honored to be named captain of Team 153 and excited to begin this journey,” Kamara said. “We have elevated the standard and will continue striving toward even greater heights. As a kid from Philadelphia, becoming captain of such a historic program is something I never could have imagined. I hope to set a standard for young student-athletes from my neighborhood to follow.”
