A CFP national champion at Indiana who parlayed a tryout into a Chiefs deal and is now pushing for the starting right tackle job.
Kahlil Benson overcame a torn ACL early in his college career to become a steady starting tackle, capping his final season with a national championship at Indiana. He signed with Kansas City as an undrafted free agent after a standout rookie tryout and is now competing for real playing time at right tackle.
Path to the league
A three-star recruit from Southaven High School in Mississippi, Benson signed with Indiana but tore his ACL in preseason practice as a true freshman in 2020 and missed the 2021 season entirely. He later spent 2024 at Colorado before returning to Indiana for a final season, and after going unselected in the 2026 NFL Draft, he earned a Chiefs contract by standing out among more than 70 players at a rookie tryout.
Career highlights
Benson developed into a full-time starter at Indiana, starting all 12 games at right tackle in 2023 and allowing just one sack across 424 pass-block attempts that season. He also logged extensive experience at guard, giving him positional versatility along the offensive line.
2025 season recap
Benson returned to Indiana for the 2025 season and started at right tackle for a Hoosiers team that ran the table and won the College Football Playoff National Championship. He signed with the Chiefs as an undrafted free agent in May 2026 and has drawn attention in training camp as a contender for the starting right tackle job.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Kahlil Benson
- Arrowhead Pride: Chiefs finally add right tackle with tryout signing, Indiana starter
Player Profile
Background
- Position
- Offensive Tackle
- Group
- offense
- College
- Indiana
- Hometown
- Southaven, MS, USA
- Age
- 23
- Status
- active
