Kam Franklin (American football)
| No. 5 – Ole Miss Rebels | |
|---|---|
| Position | Defensive end |
| Class | Sophomore |
| Personal information | |
| Born | November 28, 2005 |
| Height | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) |
| Weight | 290 lb (132 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Lake Cormorant (Lake Cormorant, Mississippi) |
| College | Ole Miss (2024–present) |
Kamarion Franklin (born November 28, 2005) is an American college football defensive end for the Ole Miss Rebels.
Early life
Franklin is from Lake Cormorant, Mississippi.[1] He grew up playing football and attended Lake Cormorant High School, where he competed in football and basketball.[2][3] He had began as a running back before switching to defensive lineman toward the end of his freshman season.[4] As a sophomore, he posted 71 tackles, 13.5 tackles-for-loss (TFLs), 11 sacks and four interceptions.[5]
Franklin then was named Mississippi 5A Defensive Player of the Year as a junior, when he set a school record with 19 sacks and also tallied 93 tackles, 22 TFLs and three blocked kicks.[4] He then made 75 tackles, seven TFLs and four sacks as a senior in 2023, concluding his high school career with 225 tackles and 36 sacks.[1][6] He was selected to the Under Armour All-America Game and the Mississippi-Alabama All-Star game.[1] Franklin was ranked a five-star recruit, the top player in the state, one of the top-10 players at his position, and a top-50 player nationally.[7] He committed to play college football for the Ole Miss Rebels.[8]
College career
As a true freshman in 2024, Franklin was a backup to future NFL draft picks Walter Nolen, JJ Pegues, and Princely Umanmielen, finishing the season with 11 tackles, five TFLs and 2.5 sacks in seven games played.[9] With each of those players graduating the next year, Franklin saw more significant playing time in the 2025 season.[10]
References
- ^ a b c "Kam Franklin". Ole Miss Rebels.
- ^ Cobb, David (August 19, 2023). "Ole Miss football recruiting: Five-star DL Kamarion Franklin, No. 30 player in 2024 class, commits to Rebels". CBS Sports.
- ^ Wilcox, Wynston (August 12, 2023). "What makes Kamarion Franklin Memphis area's No. 1 football recruit? Handoff from mom started it all". The Commercial Appeal. Archived from the original on 2025-11-14 – via archive.today.
- ^ a b Davis, Jordan (August 21, 2023). "Ole Miss football commit Kamarion Franklin has big goals for senior season". Clarion-Ledger. Archived from the original on 2025-11-14 – via archive.today.
- ^ Wilcox, Wynston (August 17, 2022). "Meet Kamarion Franklin, the No. 1 Mississippi college football prospect for Class of 2024". The Commercial Appeal. Archived from the original on 2025-11-14 – via archive.today.
- ^ Wilcox, Wynston; Chavez, Michael (December 2, 2023). "Who top Ole Miss football commit Kamarion Franklin is recruiting at MHSAA championships". Clarion-Ledger.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Navarro, Manny (August 19, 2023). "Ole Miss recruiting: Rebels edge Auburn, Miami for top-50 DL Kamarion Franklin". The Athletic.
- ^ Wilcox, Wynston (August 19, 2023). "Kamarion Franklin, a 4-star defensive lineman, picks Ole Miss football over Tennessee, Auburn". The Commercial Appeal.
- ^ Katz, Michel (March 22, 2025). "With an expanded role on the horizon, Kam Franklin is 'getting better'". The Commercial Dispatch.
- ^ Garrett, Ben (October 7, 2025). "Kam Franklin's 'work in the wait' has blossomed an SEC star". On3.com.