A year ago, the picture was still incomplete. There was belief, but also uncertainty, and a sense that the story was still moving even if the destination wasn’t fully defined yet. Kahlil Benson trusted that it would come together in time.
“I think everything just falls in place the way it’s supposed to,” Benson said. “We had a good plan here at Indiana and we stuck to it.”
That belief carried him back for one final season, not in search of something new, but to complete what years of work had already set in motion. From the start, the focus stayed narrow and deliberate. “We’ve been working on making sure everything is everything,” he said. “The details. Back to the basics. Holding ourselves to the standard and doing everything we can to get to this spot.”
After one season at Colorado, he returned to Indiana to finish what he started.
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He speaks about that stop without bitterness or nostalgia. “I try not to really think too much on it because you’ll lose focus real fast,” Benson said. “The relationships, that’s what I miss. Being able to see those guys every day. Other than that, you’ve got a job to do.” For him, the past only matters if it sharpens the present.
That same clarity shapes how he approaches moments others might inflate. “If you think of it as a big game, you go in there with nerves,” he said. “We just look at it as another game we got to play and another game we got to win. Everything is normal. It’s another football game. Another team we got to beat.”
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The movement, the waiting, and the resets along the way all played a role. “Mentally, it helped me a lot,” Benson said. “Being able to be strong. Being coachable. Being able to teach the younger guys and be an example.” Growth, for him, came through repetition and accountability rather than sudden breakthroughs.
One constant followed him everywhere. The support never faded. “Most definitely,” he said when asked about having fans from multiple places still pulling for him. “That support means a lot. I can’t do this without them for real. My family, my teammates, the fans, they keep me going.”
At the center of that support is his mother, LaTonya Benson. “I just know my mom is going to be emotional about it,” Benson said. “This is something we talked about since middle school. What goals do you want to reach?” He already knows where his eyes will drift when the moment finally arrives.
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There is no extra eligibility waiting. No return trip left to take. Just one last game, and then it’s on to the day-to-day grind of preparing for an opportunity in the NFL. Benson is embracing what’s ahead without losing sight of the present.
For now, the task stays simple.
“Most definitely, I’m ready,” he said. “But right now, we got to handle Monday.”
Miami and Indiana will kick off at 7:30 p.m. ET on Monday night. ESPN has coverage of the title game (Available on FuboTV).
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