Kamari Ramsey selected No. 141 overall to Houston in NFL Draft
The Houston Texans selected USC safety Kamari Ramsey in the fifth round of the 2026 NFL Draft on Saturday. The Texans took him with the No. 141 overall selection, the first pick of the fifth.
Ramsey is the third Trojan taken in this year’s 2026 NFL Draft along with wide receivers Makai Lemon and Ja’Kobi Lane. He is the first Trojan safety drafted since Calen Bullock in the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft.
Overall, Ramsey is the fifth Trojan the Texans have drafted over the last few drafts with Bullock (2024), defensive end Solomon Byrd (2024), cornerback Jaylin Smith (2025 and running back Woody Marks (2025).
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Here is a breakdown of USC’s latest draft pick.
Kamari Ramsey by the Numbers:
Draft Rank (NFL.com): No. 130 overall, No. 11 S
Height: 6-foot 1/4
Weight: 202 pounds
High School: Sierra Canyon (Calif.) (Class of 2022)
High School Ranking: No. 195 overall (four-star), No. 19 S, No. 12 in California
Transfer School: UCLA
Career USC Stats (20 games): 87 total tackles, 7 TFL (two sacks), seven passes defended, two FF
USC Career:
Kamari Ramsey did not begin his college career as a Trojan, but he came close during the 2022 recruiting cycle. The Trojans were among his top contenders before a coaching change helped push him to crosstown rival UCLA.
Ramsey went on to start in his second season with the Bruins and emerged as one of the best young safeties in the conference. He followed UCLA defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn to USC after the 2023 season, a massive transfer addition for the Trojans.
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Ramsey started two seasons under Lynn, highlighted by his 2024 campaigns with 60 tackles, 5.5 TFL and a pick. He could’ve left for the 2025 NFL Draft but opted to return for another year under Lynn.
He remained one of the USC defensive leaders, but due to injuries in the secondary he played more nickel for the defense. Ramsey also missed multiple games last fall, similar to 2024.
Ramsey was a solid, productive player for the Trojans, but his final season didn’t live up to expectations due to health and factors outside of his control.
NFL.com Player Analysis:
Versatile safety prospect with solid size. Kamari Ramsey saw a heavier workload at nickelback in 2025 after splitting time at all three safety spots in 2024. He plays with average eyes in space and good break anticipation when matched up in man. He was adequate covering the slot in college but might not have enough short-area burst and athleticism to do the same in the pros. He needs to close downhill in run support with greater urgency when playing from depth. His tackle-finishing saw a massive improvement in 2025, but with multiple games missed in consecutive seasons, Ramsey’s draft stock could take a hit due to durability concerns. – Lance Zierlien.
