BLOOMINGTON — The San Francisco 49ers drafted Indiana football running back Kaelon Black with the No. 90th overall pick in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft on Friday night.
Black heads to the NFL after topping 1,000 yards rushing for the first time last season while helping IU win a national title. The sixth-year running back visited with 12 teams in the run up to the draft, including a stop in Cincinnati that ended up garnering national attention with Black having to Uber from Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport to the Bengals’ team facilities.
Black is the first IU running back drafted since Chicago selected Jordan Howard in the fifth round of the 2016 draft.
Indiana football running back Kaelon Black highlights
Black spent his entire college career playing for IU coach Curt Cignetti.
The partnership dates back to the 2020 season when Black signed with James Madison as a 3-star prospect out of Salem High School in Virginia Beach. In 2023, he had a breakout year while battling injuries as part of a running back rotation at JMU that also featured future Hoosier Ty Son Lawton. Black had 891 total yards (637 rushing) while battling through injuries in 2023.
His playing time took a hit after he transferred to Bloomington the following year, but remained committed to the program and split the majority of IU’s carries with Roman Hemby in 2025. His most memorable moments of the season came in the Rose Bowl. He rushed for 99 yards and a touchdown in the 56-22 win over Alabama.
Tide defenders looked like they wanted no part in trying to stop the 5-foot-10, 211-pounder as he racked up a career-high six missed tackles.
Indiana football running back Kaelon Black Pro Day results
Black helped his draft stock with impressive Pro Day results. He ran a 4.45 second 40-yard dash, 37.5-inch vertical jump and 10-foot, 5-inch broad jump. He had a 9.14 Relative Athletic Score, a metric that evaluates NFL prospects by comparing their athletic ability to historical data for their specific position. The score ranked 199 out of 2,305 running backs tested going back to 1987.
Indiana football running back Kaelon Black stats
Black had 3,123 career all-purpose yards in 56 games (16 starts). In 2025, he rushed for 1,040 yards (5.6 yards per carry) with 10 touchdowns. He also put up his first career 100-yard game as a Hoosier in a win over Maryland (110 yards) and his first mutli-touchdown game with two scores in a win over Purdue.
Indiana football running back Kaelon Black scouting report
Teams scouting Indiana in the Rose Bowl will likely kick the tires on Black. The running back’s contact balance and powerful run style — he’s a known weight room warrior who squats 500-plus pounds — broke Alabama’s will in the 38-3 win. He always finds a way to fall forward and fights for tough yardage. Black ranked No. 193 in USA Today’s top 200 draft prospects.
Michael Niziolek is the Indiana beat reporter for The Bloomington Herald-Times. You can follow him on X @michaelniziolek and read all his coverage by clicking here.
This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: San Francisco 49ers pick Indiana RB Kaelon Black in third round of NFL draft
Reporting by Michael Niziolek, The Herald-Times / The Herald-Times
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
