Recruiting Report: Terrance Kamara (2021)
Terrance Kamara is a 5’9 170 pound rocket of a running back that is going to take the Twin City-Red conference by storm this year. He is also a player that I feel very comfortable in printing that his recruitment is…
Access all of Prep Redzone
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingTerrance Kamara is a 5’9 170 pound rocket of a running back that is going to take the Twin City-Red conference by storm this year. He is also a player that I feel very comfortable in printing that his recruitment is going to drastically increase during and/or after his junior campaign is completed. After a successful sophomore season at 6A powerhouse Champlain Park in which the speedster tallied 391 rushing yards off 65 carries while adding 10 catches for 99 yards and totaling four touchdowns, Kamara wasn’t satisfied. Something was missing for the then underclassmen, and in an interview with me a few days ago he was kind enough to elaborate on some of the reasoning behind his decision. He told me that “It was a big change going from a school with thousands of students to a school with hundreds of students, but it was good…I transferred to North because my previous school never really felt like home. I always felt out of place, and it felt like the only reason I was kept around was because I was a good athlete and not because of who I am. When I came to North I instantly felt the love from everyone around, not just because they got another athlete, they were happy because they got another brother.” Not only did the Polar brotherhood gain a member, this one also happens to be incredibly fast.
Credit: Terrance KamaraHaving clocked in at a laser-timed 40 of 4.57 seconds, the 2019 Twin City conference 100-meter dash champion’s speed is evident from the very first play of Kamara’s Hudl. In it, Kamara takes a handoff up the middle, and next thing you know, he’s in the end zone untouched. He also shows good vision and quick feet, keeping defenders on their toes as they try to anticipate if Kamara is going to race around them for the edge or cut it back up in front of their face. He’s also shifty, with great acceleration (especially during handoffs), and plays through contact. Watching his film it is hard to guess that he is 5’9 and at the time an underclassman, and as he told me himself, was playing last season at 159 pounds. Kamara told me that he has now moved up to 170 pounds, and has been “watching the things I put into my body, lifting a lot more with our new strength coach, and trying to be an all purpose back and not just a running back. I’ve been working on my hands, and Zach [Yeager] and I are out there working on routes for about two hours everyday.” The offseason has been paying off. At some recent 7 on 7s, I’ve heard rumblings that Kamara looks all the part of 170, and is already on the minds of defensive coordinators in the Twin Cities. After watching the Polars fall to Barnseville in the 2018 state semifinals, Kamara also got a different perspective on the final game of last season. He told me that “they looked good until they got into U.S. Bank and thought they would walk over an less athletic looking Barnseville football team. After that loss I think that woke a lot of people up, especially ones that would be returning for this upcoming football season.” Kamara will do everything in his power to make sure a loss like that never happens again, but in order to do so “this year we need a lot of players to step up. We are going to be a young team and we have to go into every game with one mission, and that is dominating from start to finish.” He added that he’s “very exited for the season. I have a lot to prove and I want to help bring my team back to the top.”
As you can see, Kamara is hungry. The experience he has at the 6A level plus his talent and attitude make him an incredibly exciting addition to the Twin City subdistricts and also as a college prospect. However, as he told me himself, “I want to play college football, but I don’t have any schools that are really into me. Iowa State seems like they want to take a chance but I’m not sure yet.” Kamara is looking for a college “that’s diverse, has a good education rating, and also a good football team.” He told me that he was planning on reaching out to schools after his junior season ends, but any school that decides to reach out first would be doing themselves a favor. Keep your eyes out for the speedy junior in the StarTribune this upcoming season.