This is the next in a series of articles taking a closer look at the 2024 Kentucky football roster. We’ll count down the number of days until the season starts, and look at the player wearing the matching number. Opening day is 92 days away, which means we’re talking about defensive lineman Kahlil Saunders.
Saunders came to Kentucky as a three-star defensive lineman out of Alabama. He chose the Wildcats over Virginia Tech and Memphis after recording eight sacks as Senior.
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He redshirted his Freshman season, but managed to get playing time in his first season of action. Last season, as a Sophomore, he played in every game and had 3.5 tackles for a loss and 1.5 sacks. He also had two other quarterback hurries.
Going into the 2024 season, Saunders is expected to receive lots of playing time, and could wind up as the starter at defensive end. It’s a deep defensive line, but Saunders could wind up a key player this year.