Former Kansas linebacker Bangally Kamara has signed with the Minnesota Vikings, the team announced on Monday.
Kamara went unselected in the 2026 NFL Draft but apparently made enough of an impression at the Vikings’ minicamp to earn a roster spot based on his tryout performance. Minnesota signed him alongside former Penn State lineman Smith Vilbert.
Kamara spent one year as a Jayhawk, the first piece in KU’s 2025 expansive transfer class, after four seasons at Pitt and a short stint at South Carolina. He served as KU’s starting weak-side linebacker and was an all-conference honorable mention at the conclusion of a year in which he recorded 56 tackles, including 9.5 for loss, while starting nine of the 11 games he played.
The native of Akron, Ohio, was a disruptive presence in the run game who brought some of the highest-level athleticism on KU’s defense and occasionally generated pressure off the edge. Perhaps his most memorable performance as a Jayhawk came against Missouri, when he recorded nine tackles, including two for loss, and a pass breakup — that all came not long after he suffered what was believed to be a serious injury in practice, but he missed just one game and returned to make a significant impact in the rivalry battle.
Kamara also forced a fumble and broke up four passes on the year. He did struggle at times with tackling, to the point that he missed the highest percentage of attempted tackles among any linebacker who played at least 400 defensive snaps, according to Pro Football Focus. But his impact on KU’s defense was undeniable, particularly in the UCF game when he had to sit out the first half following a targeting ejection the prior week and then the Jayhawks looked an entirely different unit and shut down the Knights after he returned.
He finished his collegiate career with 178 tackles across his six seasons of action and will now get a chance at the professional level.
