Wisconsin’s linebacker room has a clear headliner in the middle of the pack: third-year defender Jon Jon Kamara, who checks in at No. 28 on Badger247’s ranking of the top 30 keys to the Badgers’ 2026 season.
Kamara’s path to Madison has already been a little unusual. The three-star prep linebacker out of Desert Edge High School in Florida was a member of the 2024 recruiting class and ranked as the No. 24 prospect in the state of Arizona.
He chose Kansas over Iowa State, Michigan, Arizona State and Kansas, among others. After playing in four games as a true freshman, he started three and contributed in all 12 games the following season in 2025.
He then entered the transfer portal this past winter and was rated the No. 35 linebacker available by 247Sports.
He arrives with three years of eligibility left, and the buzz around him is tied to the kind of tools that jump off the page. At 6-foot-4 and 242 pounds, Kamara drew interest from Florida, California and Arizona State, among others, because of the upside that comes with his size and athletic profile. In pure raw talent and NFL projection, he may be as intriguing as anyone on Wisconsin’s 2026 roster.
Desert Edge head coach Henri McArthur didn’t hide how highly he views Kamara’s physical gifts.
"You're getting one of the most athletically gifted people in the country, I can guarantee you that. We have had a lot of kids, No. 1 in the state, and high four stars," Desert Edge head coach Henri McArthur told Badger247. "I have the No. 2 kid in the country in 2028 and I've pulled some guys, but when it comes to freak athletic ability, Jon Jon is one of a kind.
"He is 6-foot-4, 240 pounds, he runs over 22 miles an hour. His vertical was over 40 inches, he has a wingspan like an NBA power forward.
You are talking about somebody that is incredibly gifted. He actually started off as a corner and then he just grew so big that obviously he was no longer a corner.
He is incredibly gifted, unlimited upside and potential. He is hard working, all of those things.
Great human being, originally from Liberia. Jon Jon is special.
He is gonna be somebody that makes a big impact for them this season - would be shocked if he didn't."
There are still some questions, though they’re more about sample size than ceiling. Kamara’s 2025 PFF grade sat at 58.1 overall, and he hasn’t had the kind of long track record that some of Wisconsin’s other linebackers bring to the table. Even so, as a third-year player, he looks to be on the right track and positioned for meaningful snaps in 2026.
His placement at No. 28 comes down to depth ahead of him. Cooper Catalano and Mason Posa are back at linebacker, and that duo would have pushed Kamara even higher on the list if they weren’t there. Still, the expectation is that Kamara will have a real role this fall.
Wisconsin defensive coordinator Mike Tressel made it clear that the competition at linebacker is part of the plan.
"What I like is that there's a competition amongst a bunch of guys. I'm sure you guys are all talking Catalano and Posa - of course, they've proven they're really good players," coordinator Mike Tressel said."
But I see Tommy (Heiberger), I see Jon Jon certainly being in the position to push them. Because if you just have two and there's no one pushing them, how are we going to get better?
"We all already know you've got to get your best players on the field and do what they do best. I think both of those guys can rush the passer.
They have length in coverage and they can run. So I don't feel like we're losing a whole bunch in coverage, other than maybe some man things when we're out there with three backers."
Wisconsin spent the winter trying to keep Christian Alliegro in the fold, and the message at the time was that Alliegro, Catalano and Posa could all find a way to thrive together. Alliegro is now expected to start at Ohio State, and Kamara won’t simply step into that exact spot.
But the traits are similar enough to make the fit worth watching. Tressel has options, and Kamara can be deployed in more than one way as both a run stopper and a pass rusher.
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