Kam Franklin

Kamarion Nikel 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. He grew up playing football and attended Lake Cormorant High School, where he competed in football and basketball. He had begun as a running back before switching to defensive lineman toward the end of his freshman season. As a sophomore, he posted 71 tackles, 13.5 tackles-for-loss (TFLs), 11 sacks and four interceptions.

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. He was selected to the Under Armour All-America Game and the Mississippi-Alabama All-Star game. He committed to play college football for the Ole Miss Rebels.

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. With each of those players graduating the next year, Franklin saw more significant playing time in the 2025 season.