| No. 22 – Indiana Hoosiers | |
|---|---|
| Position | Defensive back |
| Class |  |
| Personal information | |
| Born | September 22, 2003 Miami, Florida, U.S. |
| Listed height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) |
| Listed weight | 187 lb (85 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Miami Northwestern |
| College |
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| Awards and highlights | |
| Stats at ESPN | |
Jamari Sharpe (born September 22, 2003) is an American college football defensive back for the Indiana Hoosiers.
Sharpe was born September 22, 2003, [1] in Miami, Florida. [2] He attended Miami Northwestern Senior High School, where he played wide receiver on the school's football team before changing to cornerback in his senior year. [3] Sharpe and Northwestern won a state championship in 2019. He also competed in track and field, placing sixth in the 100-meter dash and second on the 4 × 100 team at state finals. [1]
A three-star college football recruit, Sharpe committed to play for the Indiana Hoosiers beginning in 2022 as part of the school's highest-ranked recruiting class in program history. [3] He redshirted the 2022 season after appearing in three games. In 2023, he played in all 12 games with nine starts, recording 22 tackles, three pass breakups, and one interception. He appeared in nine games with three starts in 2024, [1] including a start in Indiana's 2024–25 College Football Playoff game against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, [4] [5] recording 13 tackles, six pass breakups, one fumble recovery, and 0.5 sacks on the season. [6]
Sharpe was named the likely starter for the 2025 season by head coach Curt Cignetti during preseason training camp. [7] [8] In a win against the Oregon Ducks, as Sharpe left the field with an injury, the broadcast showed Cignetti appearing to tell Sharpe to "toughen up"; Sharpe returned to the game one play later. [9] [10] Sharpe caught the game-sealing interception of a Carson Beck pass against the Miami Hurricanes in the 2026 College Football Playoff National Championship, which won Indiana their first national championship in program history. [11]
Sharpe's uncle, Glenn Sharpe, played college football for the Miami Hurricanes. [12] With Miami one play away from defeating the Ohio State Buckeyes in overtime of the 2003 Fiesta Bowl, Glenn was called for a controversial pass interference foul that extended the game, which eventually saw Ohio State come back to win the game and the 2002 national championship. Miami did not appear in another national championship game until 2026, when Jamari's game-sealing interception for the Indiana Hoosiers again denied the Hurricanes a national title. [13]