Why is Kam Franklin helmet a Guardian cap for Ole Miss vs LSU?

Ole Miss football defensive end Kam Franklin is hard to miss on the field.

Apart from his size – 6-foot-5, 300 pounds – that’s due, in large part, to his helmet. Franklin wears a Guardian cap on his helmet that is intended to absorb force and protect from head injuries.

Franklin will wear the protective gear once again when No. 9 Ole Miss (2-0) hosts No. 7 LSU (2-0) at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium on Sept. 19 (6:30 p.m. CT, ABC) in Lane Kiffin‘s return to Oxford.

Franklin first appeared in a Guardian cap in last year’s Fiesta Bowl against Miami in the College Football Playoff semifinals. He is the first player to wear a Guardian cap in a CFP game.

He said in a promotional video for Guardian caps that he began wearing one after suffering an injury. Franklin played in the Sugar Bowl but was questionable going into the Fiesta Bowl before being upgraded to probable.

“The reason I started wearing this Guardian cap is because of an injury I had, and once I wore it, I never looked back,” Franklin said in the video. “For me, it’s about protecting my future and staying on the field. It’s about how to take care of my body and prepare the right way.”

Protect your head. Protect your future.

Ole Miss DL Kam Franklin is teaming up with MDRS and the TBI/SCI Trust Fund to help spread the message: make head protection part of the game.

Learn more at https://t.co/z70VPEl6Pd.#GuardianCaps#OleMiss#KamFranklinpic.twitter.com/2qyIb7Lc88

— Guardian Caps (@Guardian_Caps) September 6, 2026

A Guardian cap is a padded protective shell for a player’s helmet. The product is “engineered for impact reduction” and designed to “reduce the impact of hard hits,” according to the Guardian brand website.

Guardian caps were first created in 2010 and have been used by NFL, college and high school programs in practice for years. Beginning in 2024, the NFL and NCAA allowed players to wear them in games.

Through two games this season, Franklin has six tackles and one sack.

In 2025, he had 69 tackles, including nine for loss and five sacks.

Franklin is a junior from Lake Cormorant, Mississippi.

Tia Reid covers Jackson State sports for the Clarion Ledger. Email her at treid@usatodayco.com and follow her on X @tiareid65.

This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Why is Kam Franklin helmet a Guardian cap for Ole Miss vs LSU?