khalil baker

Khalil Baker was a standout athlete at East Forsyth High School just outside Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Baker was a two-time all-conference and all-county selection, as well as a two-time sportsmanship award recipient while at East Forsyth. He also served as team captain of the 2018 state championship team before attending North Carolina Central University (NCCU). 

As a freshman at NCCU, Baker appeared in three games as a defensive back recording one tackle. He received more playing time as a sophomore, where he appeared in 11 games and finished the 2021 season with 16 tackles and two passes defended.  

Baker became a dominate force on the field as a junior. He won the inaugural Aeneas Williams Award, given to the nation's best defensive back in HBCU Division I college football. He made more history by becoming the first NCCU Eagle to earn Associated Press FCS All-America First Team honors. Baker was named the 2022 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Defensive Player of the Year. He led the Eagles to the 2022 MEAC Championship with 61 tackles, 43 solo, nine passes defended and four interceptions. Baker capped the year by registering a team-high 10 tackles to earn the 2022 Celebration Bowl Defensive MVP award, as the Eagles defeated No. 5 Jackson State in overtime to capture the HBCU national championship title.