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FAMU football star heads back into the transfer portal

Kamari Stephens, Florida A&M

It doesn’t appear that FAMU football will get a happy ending with Kamari Stephens after all.

Stephens, an All-American defensive lineman for FAMU football, is back in the transfer portal. He made his announcement via Twitter on Monday afternoon. 

“I am officially back in the transfer portal with two years of eligibility graduate transfer,” Stephens tweeted.

This marks the second time Stephens has entered the portal this year. He said his previous leap into the transfer portal was spurred by the scarcity of NFL Draft picks from HBCUs. But he circled back around and returned to Florida A&M football.

“At the end of the day I always knew that FAMU was home,” Stephens told HBCU Gameday’s Vaughn Wilson upon announcing he would return to FAMU. “It was cool to see what other schools had to offer, but there’s nothing like our (FAMU) coaching staff. The relationship I have with the coaches here is like a real family. I’m just glad God placed me here to be a Rattler.”


Kamari Stephens saw action in one games as a freshman in 2019 before being redshirted until 2021. As a redshirt sophomore, he played in 11 games, contributing three tackles, one tackle for loss, and a shared sack. 

However, it was during the 2022 season that Stephens truly emerged as a dominant force for the Florida A&M defense. The talented defensive lineman had a breakout performance, amassing a career-high 10 sacks and 15 solo tackles in just 11 games. His achievements earned him recognition as an HBCU All-American and a spot on the All-SWAC First Team, emphasizing his status as a standout player.

Kamari Stephens



His first stint in the transfer portal saw Stephens pick up offers from the University of Central Florida, Oklahoma, Western Kentucky, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Utah State, and North Texas.

It would appear that this second trip into the portal would mark the end of his time as a part of FAMU football. It would be a big loss for the SWAC squad, but perhaps it’s for the best at this point. 

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