Kahlil Benson Wins Right Tackle Battle, Set to Start in Indiana's Season Opener

Though it seemed in serious doubt, Indiana football offensive tackle Kahlil Benson not only re-claimed his jersey number but also his starting spot on the Hoosiers' front line.

Benson, who started at right tackle for Indiana in 2023 before transferring to Colorado for the 2024 season, beat Ohio State transfer Zen Michalski in a fall camp competition and will start at right tackle in the Hoosiers' 2:30 p.m. Saturday kickoff against Old Dominion at Merchants Bank Field inside Memorial Stadium.

Indiana coach Curt Cignetti announced the news Thursday night on his radio show.

"Kahlil Benson started at right tackle the year before I was hired here, and then when I got hired, he was in the portal already," Cignetti said. "Went to Colorado and heard such great things about the 'new Indiana,' he wanted to come back with his buddy Louis Moore.

"So, right now, he's the starting right tackle."

The 6-foot-6, 319-pound Benson didn't play his first two years from 2020-21 at Indiana, but he started five games at right guard in 2022 and all 12 games at right tackle in 2023 — the latter of which came under offensive line coach Bob Bostad, the lone on-field assistant retained from previous coach Tom Allen's staff.

Indiana's move to start Benson comes, at least to an extent, as a surprise.

Michalski spoke with reporters during the final week of fall camp, an indication he was in line for significant reps. But after learning how to write, eat and hold his phone in his right hand to aid his offseason transition from left to right tackle, Michalski will be relegated to backup duties Saturday.

"We've got Zen from Ohio State, (who) will be backing up the guard and tackle positions going into this game," Cignetti said.

The rest of Indiana's offensive line remains as expected. Redshirt junior Carter Smith is entering Year 3 as a starter, and Cignetti said he has pro potential. Senior center Pat Coogan started the past two seasons at Notre Dame and has ascended into a team leader. Both starting guards, left guard Drew Evans and right guard Bray Lynch, are back in the fold.

Cignetti said during his Monday press conference he feels good about his offensive line, and when he was asked Thursday about whether the Hoosiers' line can be better than it was last season, he turned jovial.

"We'll find out at the end of the year, you know, whoever's grading them," Cignetti said with a laugh. "But we've got a lot of veterans who've played a lot of football."

The Hoosiers continued that theme at right tackle, as Benson boasts a stronger, longer background than Michalski at the position — and he gets the Week 1 start to prove it.