#45

Khali Saunders

Senior linebacker for Kent State. 2023: 33 tackles, 1 tackle for loss.

LB · Kent State · Sr. · #45

6′3″ · 233 lb · Elmhurst, IL

CFB Index 35 · #420 of 577 LBsHigh confidenceKent State 2023 alumnus

Recruiting

3★

OLB recruit

No. 817 nationally · Signed with Immaculate Conception

No college snaps yet.

His career numbers, season by season

The story

4 linebacker for Kent State. 2023: 33 tackles, 1 tackle for loss.

Signed as a 3-star recruit to Immaculate Conception in 2019.

His career, year by year

How it ended

Five seasons at Kent State, 100 tackles — his college career is complete.

His career

He barely played early on. Then he did not come off the field.

2019

Recruited3-star out of Immaculate Conception

20228 games

The role got bigger.

Entered the portal

2024

Entered the portal

Career arc

Recruit

★★★

#817 national

CFB

College

2 teams

2019–2023

NFL

NFL Draft

—

Not drafted

Coaching lineage · 2019–2023

2 coaches

2019–2022

Sean Lewis

Kent State

2023

Kenni Burns

Kent State

era →

Coaching transition mid-career: Sean Lewis → Kenni Burns. Worth noting in scheme + development context.

2023 snapshot

Season context · Team result + system

2019Purdue4-8HC: Jeff Brohm · Pass-leaning

2020Purdue2-4HC: Jeff Brohm · Pass-heavy

2021Purdue9-4HC: Jeff Brohm · Pass-leaning, fast tempo

2022Kent State5-7HC: Sean Lewis · Run-leaning

2023Kent State1-11HC: Kenni Burns · Run-leaning

Where this defender ranks vs the field

Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort

35Below cohort / limited sample #420 of 577?

High confidence7 metrics · season cumulative

Concern: sacks (24th percentile).

Box-score production (7)

QB hurries#574 / 2842 · 74th pct

Tackles#1159 / 2842 · 58th pct

Passes defended#1113 / 2842 · 50th pct

Solo tackles#1603 / 2842 · 42nd pct

Interceptions#323 / 827 · 31st pct

Tackles for loss#1868 / 2842 · 28th pct

1.0

Sacks#1503 / 2842 · 24th pct

0.0

Percentiles are versus same-position peers with enough snaps this season, based on box-score production. There are no play-by-play efficiency bars here: CFBD's play-value model credits offensive players only, so no defensive EPA exists to rank.

Splits & context

Splits · Per-game

2023 season · 10 games

Home/Road · Season halves

Home vs Road

	TKL/g	TFL/g	SACK/g	PD/g
Home5g	3.0	0.2	0.0	0.0
Road5g	3.6	0.0	0.0	0.2

First half vs Second half

	TKL/g	TFL/g	SACK/g	PD/g
Weeks 1-76g	2.7	0.2	0.0	0.2
Weeks 8+4g	4.2	0.0	0.0	0.0

Supporting cast · Scheme

Staff and system around the player

2026 season

Head Coach

Mark Carney

Scheme reads (pass share, tempo, sack rate) need at least 3 team games — 2 games in so far.

Awards

Player standing · 2023

Rotational

Tackle volume for the position in rotation-piece range.

Recognition

Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex

Production · CFB Index Score

35 · #420 of 577 LBs

Three-star recruit. Now #420 at the position.

Career stats

Season	Team
2023	Kent State	33	13	1.0	0.0	1	1	--
2022	Kent State	55	26	5.0	1.5	2	1	--
2021	Purdue	8	5	1.5	0.0	1	--	--
2020	Purdue	2	2	0.0	0.0	--	--	--
2019	Purdue	2	2	0.0	0.0	--	--	--
Career		100	48	7.5	1.5	4	2	--

Signature game

SIGNATURE GAME · Week 3 · 2023

W 38–10

vs Central Connecticut

3 TOT · 2 SOLO · 1 TFL

Dominant 28-point win at home against Central Connecticut.

With M. Alaimo — 172 yds · 1 TD · 1 INT · QBR 47.3 · 18 rush yds (5 car) · 1 TD · G. Garcia — 125 rush yds (21 car) · 2 TD

Game log

Game log · Week-by-week

2023 season · 10 games

Box score · CFBD

Wk	Opp	TKL	SOLO	TFL	INT	PD	Note
Wk 2	L 6-28@ Arkansas	3	0	0.0	—	0
Wk 3	W 38-10vs Central Connecticut	3	2	1.0	1	0
Wk 4	L 10-53@ Fresno State	3	1	0.0	—	0
Wk 5	L 3-23vs Miami (OH)	1	0	0.0	—	0
Wk 6	L 17-42@ Ohio	3	1	0.0	—	1
Wk 7	L 14-28@ Eastern Michigan	3	1	0.0	—	0
Wk 8	L 6-24vs Buffalo	0	0	0.0	—	0
Wk 11	L 19-49vs Bowling Green	1	1	0.0	—	0
Wk 12	L 3-34@ Ball State	6	2	0.0	—	0
Wk 13	L 27-37vs Northern Illinois	10	5	0.0	—	0	Season-high 10 tackles
Total		33	13	1.0	1	1

Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology