He played college football at San Diego State and was selected by the then-Washington Redskins in the fifth round of the 2020 NFL draft.

He was named second-team All-Mountain West Conference as a freshman and to the first-team as a sophomore and as a junior.

[10] In the Week 12 win against the Seattle Seahawks, Ismael took over at center after starter Wes Schweitzer left the game after suffering an ankle injury.

[12] On March 16, 2022, the team placed an exclusive-rights free agent tender on Ismael,[13] which he signed on April 20.

[14] He was placed on injured reserve as part of finalizing the 53-man roster, but released with an injury settlement on September 5, 2022.