Kamari Ramsey is a safety and 2026 NFL Draft prospect who played two seasons at USC after beginning his career at UCLA. A native of Palmdale, California, Ramsey attended Sierra Canyon School in Chatsworth as a four-star recruit in the 2022 class, originally committing to Stanford before choosing to stay closer to home by signing with UCLA. He redshirted his true freshman season before starting all 11 games he appeared in during 2023, posting 40 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss and one interception. When UCLA defensive coordinator D'Anton Lynn departed for USC ahead of the 2024 season, Ramsey followed him to the other side of Los Angeles via the transfer portal. In his first year with the Trojans he posted 60 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, two sacks, one interception and two forced fumbles across 11 starts, earning All-Big Ten Honorable Mention recognition. In 2025 he was moved to nickel corner out of necessity due to injuries in USC's secondary, starting six of nine games he played before a knee injury ended his season. He finished his career with 176 tackles and three interceptions across three seasons of significant playing time at two programs.
Measured at 6-foot and 201 pounds with a 4.47-second 40-yard dash, Ramsey is a versatile, football-smart defensive back who has played deep safety, box safety and nickel corner during his collegiate career, making him a genuine coverage chess piece at the next level. His best attribute is his diagnostic ability, reading quarterback progressions from depth and triggering downhill to closing windows in zone coverage with well-timed anticipation. He was the defensive signal-caller for the Trojans secondary and demonstrates the communication and positional awareness to handle complex defensive structures. His 2024 campaign showed the kind of multi-phase impact, including tackles for loss, sacks and forced fumbles, that illustrates an aggressive tone-setter in the box. The concerns center on a knee injury that requires thorough medical review, a career total of only three interceptions despite frequent positioning to collect them, run defense limitations from his time at nickel and questions about his ability to lock down faster slot receivers in pure man coverage. Most evaluations project him as a Day Two selection with starting upside at strong safety in a zone-heavy two-high defense, provided he clears medically.
