Kam Franklin is a big-time player for the Ole Miss defense.
He's also got a bigger helmet than the rest of his teammates — or at least, that's how it appears as it looks different on his head than everyone else's.
Of course, for those who have been watching football in recent years, you realize that's not exactly the case.
This is about safety for Franklin.
Franklin isn't actually wearing a different helmet. He's wearing a cover on top of his helmet.
That's a Guardian cap, a relatively new football tool meant to limit head injuries.
Franklin is still wearing the same helmet as the rest of his teammates. The Guardian cap goes on top of it, a sort of mesh covering that limits the impact of hits.
Each hit in football to the head can impact a player's brain, so protection makes sense.
Lots of players wear Guardian caps in practice, and they've begun to make their way to regular season games in both college football and the NFL .
Franklin became the first player to wear the Guardian Cap in a College Football Playoff game last season.
He had been injured in the Sugar Bowl, not wearing the covering at that time, and when he returned to action, Franklin had the extra cover.
He has kept it with him for the 2026 college football season.
The first fun part of Franklin is his name. His full name is Kamarion Franklin.
He's a 20-year old defensive end for Ole Miss.
Franklin is originally from Lake Cormorant, Mississippi. He began his high school career as a running back before switching to the defensive line..
As a junior, he set a school record with 19 sacks, and he finished his high school career with 36 sacks.
Franklin was a five-star recruit and chose Ole Miss.
In 2024, Franklin was a backup to multiple future NFL Draft picks and made 11 tackles with 2.5 sacks.
In 2025, he stepped into his big role and had 69 tackles, including 9.0 for a loss and 5.0 sacks.
Franklin will be planning on a big 2026 season as Ole Miss tries to return to the CFP. They've got Pete Golding as their new head coach after Lane Kiffin's departure. Golding was the defensive coordinator, so he'll be a great leader for Franklin.
After this, Franklin will be hoping to head to the NFL and make noise there like some other recent Ole Miss defenders.
All along the way, he'll do it while trying to keep his head healthy both for his present and his future self.
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