Despite no playoff football, HC Deion Sanders is not bitter about promoting a former player from Boulder. A 3-9 record has not stopped Coach Prime’s heartfelt message of support for Indiana OL Kahlil Benson and his mother. We all know how the head coach puts his family on the highest pedestal. This time, it was a similar feeling for LaTonya Benson.
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As part of the Hoosiers’ offense, Kahlil Benson helped the IU win the Big Ten championship. At the Lucas Oil Stadium, when the clock struck 0:00, Indiana erupted in joy. Celebratory fist bumps, helmet knocks soon followed. But for Khalil, his family was waiting in the stands; faces streaked with tears. It was the first time the Indiana Hoosiers won the Big Ten title (since 1945), and Kahlil was a part of that legacy.
“What a ride thus far! Days of praying, fasting, & worship & To see my Son running to me after the win, whew! 😭🙌🏾 ,” Kahlil’s mother, LaTonya Benson, shared. “Winning the B1G Championship was Amazing! I’m so proud of @BensonKahlil & his teammates! ✈️ Rose Bowl!”
Prime Time isn’t calling plays for Khalil now, yet the coach in him still shows up. Replying to Tonya’s tweet, he dropped a wholesome message, making it clear the Bensons are still treasured members of the Sanders family.
“Proud of yall mama,” Prime Time penned. “You know we’ll always be family.”
Despite the era of the transfer portal and NIL, where relationships end on bad terms, this time it was not the case.
LaTonya’s tweets are always about her support, not just for the Buffs but also for Shedeur Sanders. Her bio states, “#Buffs4ever”. Even Deion Sanders is not upset as the OL hit the transfer portal.
Coach Prime penned a cheeky farewell message with his trademark mix of charm and jokes. “Love ya my man and tell mama she can still cook even tho u dipped on me. Lololol I’m gon miss ya man.”
Even speaking about the recruitment, LaTonya called Deion Sanders humble and down to earth, despite his celebrity status. That’s why the short stint in Boulder is not rocky, even though it may seem like it. After all, both LaTonya and Deion only want the best for Kahlil.
With Kahlil’s Big Ten title win, Mama LaTonya surely would have gone back to the time when she encouraged Kahlil to give football a shot. He was just six when he had a passion for football.
“He was about six years old, and we were driving by this field,” she shared in a conversation with BiggDoggChico two years ago. “I pointed over there, and I said, ‘Hey buddy, you see those kids?’ and he was like, ‘Yes, ma’am.’ I said, ‘They playing football, you want to play?’
He looked at me and said, ‘Yes, ma’am.’ I whipped it around and went right on over there. I told him (Kahlil) to get out of the truck, and they looked. I said, ‘My six-year-old wants to play.’ He said there’s no way he’s six. He (Kahlil) has had a love for the game ever since.”
From there to Indiana, Boulder, and back to Indiana, Kahlil Benson’s journey has come full circle, bringing him back to where it all began.
Kahlil Benson’s CU snub and return to Indiana It was in 2020 when Kahlil began his college football journey at Indiana. For his first two seasons, he barely saw any action, owing to injuries. But 2023 was his year, when he truly hit it off. Starting all 12 games at right tackle, he became an integral part of Indiana’s offensive line. It was a good start. But Colorado called. College football is no stranger to Prime Time’s transfer portal overhaul. And Kahlil was a part of that.
Pumped up from an impressive junior season, the 6’6, 319 offensive tackle was all in to make an explosive season.
“I’ll be damned if we give up fifty-something sacks this year,” Benson said during a practice drill in 2024. “I’ll be damned today. Y’all are not going to be here, and I don’t give a F— who says something about it.”
Top Stories His leadership and the locker room chemistry earned Deion Sanders‘ approval. However, his time at Colorado was cut short by injuries. He started four of his nine appearances, leading the Buffs to their first bowl appearance since 2020. But he did not appear in the Alamo Bowl. As Mama LaTonya put it, her son did not get ample opportunities at Boulder.
“Last season, they doubted & talked bad about you, while IU is excited you’re back!” she penned after Kahlil returned to Indiana Hoosiers. “You shut down projected 2nd round D-Ends’ mouths today! Sounds like you’re winning!”
Some felt she was taking a shot at Colorado and Sanders himself. But LaTonya clarified with another tweet to clear the air.
“The Love & Respect I have for @DeionSanders , @CUBuffsFootball & the #SkoBuffs Family is far above the ignorance & lies of some small time podcasters & writers trying to come up by spewing lies & negativity! #MommaBensonEncourages, not tear down! Praying 4 Y’all! Now repost this!”
Once again, stating that there is no bad blood. After his Colorado tenure ended on a disappointing note, Benson returned closer to his family in Indiana. Head Coach Curt Cignetti’s program was making national headlines. Kahlil grabbed the moment and became an indispensable part of QB Fernando Mendoza’s offense.
This public display of support comes as a bright spot in what has been a grueling year for Deion Sanders, who has navigated not only a disappointing 3-9 record and a turbulent quarterback situation at Boulder but also his own significant health challenges.