Kahlil Benson

Last updated

Kahlil Benson
No. 67 – Indiana Hoosiers
Position Offensive lineman
Class
Redshirt Redshirt.svg
Redshirt
Senior
Personal information
Born (2002-08-20) August 20, 2002 (age 23)
Memphis, Tennessee, U.S.
Height6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)
Weight305 lb (138 kg)
Career information
High school Southaven (Southaven, Mississippi)
College
Stats at ESPN

Kahlil Benson (born August 20, 2002) is an American college football offensive lineman for the Indiana Hoosiers. He previously played for the Colorado Buffaloes.

Contents

Early life

Benson was born August 20, 2002, [1] in Memphis, Tennessee. [2] He attended Southaven High School in Southaven, Mississippi, where he competed in football and track and field. [2] In his senior year, Benson was named a team captain and earned first-team all-state honors. He was ranked as a three-star college football prospect by ESPN, 247Sports, and Rivals.com. [1] [2] Benson was named the most outstanding offensive lineman out of 240 prospects who attended the Southern Elite Combine in 2019. [3] He initially committed to play college football for the Ole Miss Rebels, but following a head coaching change at Ole Miss, he instead opted to play for the Indiana Hoosiers; though considered an offensive guard prospect by 247Sports, Indiana recruited him to play offensive tackle. [4]

College career

Benson joined the Indiana Hoosiers football team in 2020. [5] He missed the 2020 season after sustaining a torn anterior cruciate ligament [6] during a preseason practice, [7] taking a redshirt for the season. He did not play in any games in 2021. [8] In 2022, Benson played in all 12 games, at first on special teams, but ultimately starting in five games at right guard. He started in all 12 games of 2023, now playing right tackle [1] and allowing only one sack on 424 pass attempts. [9]

After head coach Tom Allen was fired following the 2023 season, [10] Benson transferred to play for the Colorado Buffaloes, [11] stepping into a leadership role on an offensive line unit that allowed 56 sacks the previous season. [12] Benson played right tackle, right guard, and left guard in his season at Colorado, [13] [14] playing in nine games with four starts while missing four games, including the 2024 Alamo Bowl, due to injuries. [15] He transferred back to the Indiana Hoosiers for the 2025 season. [16]

Initially projected to play right guard in his second stint at Indiana, [17] and despite missing spring training camp due to an undisclosed injury sustained at Colorado, [18] head coach Curt Cignetti announced Benson would start at right tackle in 2025. [19] Benson did not appear in the first half of the game against the Indiana State Sycamores for disciplinary reasons that Cignetti called a "[v]iolation of team rules and regulations". [20] [21]

Personal life

Benson's cousin, Kevin Elliott, played football professionally for the Jacksonville Jaguars and Buffalo Bills of the National Football League (NFL). [2]

During his time with the Colorado Buffaloes, Benson created a popular social media hashtag, #DT2, meaning "Don't Touch 2". It referred to the Colorado offensive line's commitment to protecting quarterback Shedeur Sanders, who wore jersey number 2, from opposing defenses. [22]

Benson earned a bachelor's degree in sociology from the University of Colorado Boulder. [1]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Kahlil Benson". Indiana University Athletics. Archived from the original on February 9, 2025. Retrieved November 20, 2025.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Kahlil Benson". University of Colorado Athletics. Archived from the original on August 7, 2024. Retrieved November 20, 2025.
  3. ↑ Johnson, David (July 3, 2019). "Kahlil Benson Brings Home Top OL Honors At The Southern Elite". 247Sports . Archived from the original on December 10, 2025. Retrieved November 20, 2025.
  4. ↑ Thompson, Khari (February 5, 2020). "Southaven's Kahlil Benson signs with Indiana". The Commercial Appeal . Archived from the original on February 8, 2023. Retrieved November 20, 2025.
  5. ↑ Brew, Tom (February 5, 2020). "Signing Day: Indiana Adds Benson, Mayala to 2020 Class". Sports Illustrated . Archived from the original on December 10, 2025. Retrieved November 20, 2025.
  6. ↑ Tolle, Josh (December 10, 2023). "Indiana's Kahlil Benson transfers to Colorado". Sports Illustrated . Archived from the original on September 15, 2024. Retrieved November 20, 2025.
  7. ↑ Wallace, Dylan (October 12, 2020). "Indiana Freshman Kahlil Benson Out For Season with Torn ACL". Sports Illustrated . Archived from the original on January 25, 2022. Retrieved November 20, 2025.
  8. ↑ Peery, Wade (December 8, 2023). "Indiana transfer OL Kahlil Benson announces visit to Colorado". On3.com . Archived from the original on December 8, 2023. Retrieved November 20, 2025.
  9. ↑ Cosolo, Tony (July 18, 2024). "Meet Colorado's new enforcer on the O-Line, Kahlil Benson". USA Today . Archived from the original on December 10, 2025. Retrieved November 20, 2025.
  10. ↑ Glenesk, Matthew (January 4, 2025). "After a season with Deion Sanders' Buffaloes, Kahlil Benson transfers back to IU football". The Indianapolis Star . Archived from the original on January 9, 2025. Retrieved November 21, 2025.
  11. ↑ Cosolo, Tony (December 10, 2023). "Transfer offensive linemen Justin Mayers, Kahlil Benson commit to CU Buffs". USA Today . Archived from the original on December 10, 2025. Retrieved November 20, 2025.
  12. ↑ Tolle, Josh (June 30, 2024). "Kahlil Benson upset over effort: "I'll be damned if we allow fifty-something sacks"". Sports Illustrated . Archived from the original on August 13, 2024. Retrieved November 20, 2025.
  13. ↑ Munsterteiger, Adam (January 2, 2025). "Colorado OL Kahlil Benson enters the transfer portal". 247Sports . Archived from the original on December 10, 2025. Retrieved November 20, 2025.
  14. ↑ Carlough, Jack (January 2, 2025). "Colorado loses offensive lineman to transfer portal". USA Today . Archived from the original on December 10, 2025. Retrieved November 20, 2025.
  15. ↑ Howell, Brian (January 2, 2025). "Football: CU Buffs' offensive lineman Kahlil Benson enters transfer portal". Daily Camera . Archived from the original on July 4, 2025. Retrieved November 20, 2025.
  16. ↑ Weaver, Matt (January 4, 2025). "Colorado transfer O-lineman Kahlil Benson returning to Indiana". 247Sports . Archived from the original on December 10, 2025. Retrieved November 20, 2025.
  17. ↑ McMahon, Colin (April 4, 2025). "Indiana's offensive line continues to show 'progress' with three expected transfer starters". On3.com . Archived from the original on April 4, 2025. Retrieved November 20, 2025.
  18. ↑ Niziolek, Michael (August 29, 2025). "Who will be Indiana football's starting right tackle against Old Dominion?". The Herald-Times . Archived from the original on August 29, 2025. Retrieved November 20, 2025.
  19. ↑ Flick, Daniel (August 29, 2025). "Kahlil Benson Wins Right Tackle Battle, Set to Start in Indiana's Season Opener". Sports Illustrated . Archived from the original on August 30, 2025. Retrieved November 20, 2025.
  20. ↑ Niziolek, Michael (September 13, 2025). "Indiana football's starting offensive tackle missed the first half. Coach Curt Cignetti explains why". The Indianapolis Star . Archived from the original on September 24, 2025. Retrieved November 20, 2025.
  21. ↑ Flick, Daniel (September 13, 2025). "Why Indiana Football Suspended Starting Offensive Lineman vs. Indiana State". Sports Illustrated . Archived from the original on December 10, 2025. Retrieved November 20, 2025.
  22. ↑ Munsterteiger, Adam (December 19, 2023). "Key member of Buffs' 2024 transfer class, OL Kahlil Benson wants to help keep Shedeur Sanders' jersey clean". 247Sports . Archived from the original on December 10, 2025. Retrieved November 21, 2025.
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