Since both becoming the new guys in South Carolinas defensive room, Demetrius Knight and Bangally Kamara have grown a respect for each other. But Kamara’s football IQ is what sets him apart as a veteran in the defensive room.

“It’s been great playing with him,” Knight said. “Especially IQ wise, he is very talented of course on the field but off the field as well.”

With Knight being a sixth year and Kamara a fifth year, the NFL could be on the horizon for both linebackers. As potential draft picks, intellectual football thinking could set Knight and Kamara apart from other linebackers.

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“There’s a lot of things that they look at in the next level of course. Can you fit gaps? Can you cover receivers or not receivers but running backs and tight ends? But do you really know the game? Can you get up on the board and write and draw X’s and O’s, talk X’s and O’s and not feel stressed. But he knows what he’s talking about on and off the field,” Knight said.

Despite being older than Kamara, Knight has still been able to learn from him.

“Great guy to come to get pointers on for myself so you never stop learning. I always learn a thing or two coming up and asking him questions. Picking his brain, a little bit,” Knight said.

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Defensive coordinator and inside linebackers coach Clayton White had nothing but praise for Kamara as a player. A former Pitt Panther, Kamara brings a lot of versatility to the table.

“He brings just a different style of play,” White said. “He’s more of a slippery linebacker, that kind of guy who can slither through traffic and not get in a car wreck and make plays. He knows when to stop at the red light and when it turns green, he knows when to go.”

So far in the 2024 season, Kamara has recorded seven total tackles. However, his abilities and strengths go far beyond his recorded stats in the season.

“He also brings some third down ability, some coverage ability, some rush ability. He’s a savvy guy so I think that’s what he brings,” White said.

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