Countdown to 2020 IUFB Kickoff: 69 Days (Kahlil Benson)

Written by Nathan Comp

#69

The Hoosier Huddle countdown to kickoff has begun! A day under ten weeks remain until the Hoosiers kickoff the 2020 season at Camp Randall Stadium against the Wisconsin Badgers. Today, we’ll highlight incoming freshman offensive lineman Kahlil Benson.

Kahlil Benson (Freshman)

Height: 6’6”

Weight: 332 Pounds

Hometown: Southaven, Mississippi

Position: Offensive Line

Offensive line was a priority of the 2020 recruiting class for Tom Allen’s Hoosiers. By the end of the recruiting process, Indiana had added eight offensive line prospects by way of the transfer market, junior college, and high school prospects. The highest ranked of them all comes in 3-star offensive guard prospect Kahlil Benson. The 17th ranked prospect in Mississippi and 38th ranked guard by ESPN comes to the Hoosiers with a Big Ten-ready body and a love for the LEO culture that Allen has requested.

Speaking of his visit to Bloomington, Benson said, “I loved everything about it. I had a good time with the coaches and the players. I don’t know if I can say exactly what I liked about it because everything was awesome.”

Allen had similar rave reviews. “Adding Kahlil Benson, big ol' offensive linemen out of Southaven, Mississippi, just really excited about him and his potential here, as is the case with all these guys. They've all got to come here and prove that they're what we think they're going to be. But just from the physical perspective, obviously a big one, you want them big, recruit them big. And he's long and has really good size, already 330 pounds plus. But just comes from a really, really great family. I loved getting to know him. And when you go to the school, just the kind of young man he is and the way he's viewed by the principal, AD, counselors, teachers, just really impressed. Getting a first-class young man that's going to come here, work extremely hard. And he's got tremendous ability to grow and develop in our program.”

Benson has experience at both tackle and guard, but projects as a guard with Indiana. Though he has the size already, Benson will likely just see time with the reserves as the offensive line should be manned by players with more experience. He should see action in 2020, but maybe not more than the four games that would allow him to still redshirt his freshman season.