Kahlil Saunders
Kahlil Saunders
Wins his gap play after play. Fifth year in the Kentucky defensive front, same address the whole way. The receipt: 6 tackles, 0.5 TFL against Georgia — Week 6, 2025.
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- positional archetype classification
- seasons on the roster
- game log
Career Arc
Coaching Lineage · 2021–2025
1 coachPlayed his entire career under Mark Stoops.
2025 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
Splits & context
Supporting Cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Will Stein
Awards
Player Standing · 17 rungs
Tier 2 · StarterR05 · Part-time starter
Part-time starter. Tackle volume for the position in part-time-starter range.
Career stats
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 10 · 2025
W 10–3
at Auburn
4 TOT · 2 SOLO · 1 SACKS
A wire-to-wire battle — won by 7 on the road.
How he plays
Play style
Stout at the point of attack — steady tackle-for-loss production without a standout pass-rush number.
CFB Index positional classification
2026 Outlook
Kentucky
2026 Depth chart
Projected starter
Defensive line · Kentucky
Returning around him
- 4 Kentucky players drafted to NFL
- Transfer portal: +2 net (29 in / 27 out)
2026 Award watch
No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)
Kentucky · Last season: 5-7 · Talent rank #27 · 2026 recruiting class #60
DNA match
Player DNA
Two-Gap Base
Stout at the point of attack — steady tackle-for-loss production without a standout pass-rush number.
His 2025 production profile sits closest to Hero Kanu’s 2025 season.
Matches Hero on
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a graduate, his production profile tracks closest to Dennis Briggs Jr.'s graduate season at Illinois (2024).
Matches Dennis on