3 pass rushers for Indiana football are early standouts during fall camp

The Indiana football pass rush was a question mark coming into the summer and the fall. It was lacking depth and firepower, but through the early stages of fall camp there are numerous standouts on the defensive line.

Indiana offensive lineman Carter Smith returns to Bloomington as one of the top players at the position in the Big Ten. So, his opinion holds a lot of weight.

On Thursday he named three pass rushers for the Hoosiers who are already making an impact. The first that came to mind was his newest teammate — Mikail Kamara.

“I hate Mikail, man. I hate Mikail,” Smith said with a smile. “He’s so fast. He’s so good with his hands.”

Kamara was an All-Sun Belt selection in 2023 and totaled 52 tackles, 17.5 tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks and three forced fumbles.

Kamara heads into 2024 with major expectations and will play a significant role for the Indiana football defense.

While Jacob Mangum-Farrar is not new to the program, he’s new to the position. The former linebacker made the transition to the defensive line this spring.

He is coming off of career-year in 2023. He had 62 tackles and four tackles for loss.

It’s been a rocky transition at times, but Mangum-Farrar is now starting to come into his own.

“Jacob Mangum-Farrar is getting a lot better, even though he just transitioned to the position in the spring,” Smith said. “But he’s making huge progress.”

If Mangum-Farrar can turn into a consistent part of the pass rush, it’ll only bolster the emerging position group.

The third standout, according to Smith, is Lanell Carr. Another slight position change, Carr will move to the ‘Stud’ position this season.

He finished with 33 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss and five sacks a season ago and now looks to build on that success this year.

“LC. Lanell Carr has been really good for us as well,” Smith added. ” He’s a really quick guy, really good at making inside moves. So those are some of the, some of the guys who are out on the edge.”

Indiana has a strong linebacking core and a relatively unknown secondary at this level. So, if the defensive line can be a consistent part of the attack, it’ll go a long way in helping forge the success of Indiana football this year.

SEE ALSO: After ‘no-brainer’ decision to join IU football, D’Angelo Ponds earning early praise from Curt Cignetti

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