Kaelon Black

Kaelon Black (born October 17, 2001) is an American professional football running back for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the James Madison Dukes and the Indiana Hoosiers, winning the 2026 National Championship with the latter, and was selected by the 49ers in the third round of the 2026 NFL draft.

Early life Black was born October 17, 2001, and attended Salem High School in Virginia Beach, Virginia. A two-star college football prospect per Rivals.com, he committed to play for the James Madison Dukes. Black was rated the 26th-best senior football player in Virginia by Rivals.com, the 35th-best in Virginia by 247Sports, and the ninth-best in the Hampton Roads region by The Virginian-Pilot. He also competed in basketball and track and field at Salem.

College career Black began his college football career with the James Madison Dukes. He redshirted the 2020 season after appearing in two games, scoring one touchdown. His 2021 season was cut short due to a knee injury suffered in a game against the Weber State Wildcats.

Black played in nine games, with one start, in 2022. In a 32–28 win against the Appalachian State Mountaineers, Black scored both a rushing touchdown and a receiving touchdown while gaining 131 yards.

In 2023, Black played in all 13 games, with 12 starts. In the Royal Rivalry game against the Old Dominion Monarchs, he rushed for 56 yards and a touchdown as the Dukes won 37–3. He caught a touchdown pass in James Madison's 31–21 loss to the Air Force Falcons in the 2023 Armed Forces Bowl, JMU's first bowl game in program history. He rushed for a total of 637 yards during the season at a rate of 4.5 yards per carry. Black entered the NCAA transfer portal after the 2023 season.

After the 2023 college football season, the Indiana Hoosiers hired James Madison head coach Curt Cignetti to be the program's new head coach. Several James Madison players, including Black, followed Cignetti to Indiana, as did running backs coach John Miller. Black appeared in all 13 games for Indiana in 2024 He rushed for a 21-yard touchdown against the Richmond Spiders. Lingering injuries, however, limited his availability throughout the season. Black ended the 2024 season with 251 rushing yards and two touchdowns, averaging 5.5 yards per carry.

In the 2025 season, Black shared the running back role with Roman Hemby, who had newly transferred to the team; the pair emerged as one of the most productive running back tandems of the college football season. Black scored a 40-yard touchdown against the Illinois Fighting Illini, a 21-yard touchdown against the Michigan State Spartans, and a one-yard touchdown against the Penn State Nittany Lions. In the Old Oaken Bucket rivalry game against the Purdue Boilermakers, Black rushed for two touchdowns in a 56–3 win to seal the Hoosiers' first perfect regular season in program history. He rushed for 99 yards and a touchdown in a 38–3 win over the Alabama Crimson Tide in the 2026 Rose Bowl. In Indiana's 56–22 win against the Oregon Ducks in the 2026 Peach Bowl, Black rushed for two touchdowns. He rushed for 79 yards, including a 20-yard rush on 3rd and 7 to extend a touchdown drive, in Indiana's 27–21 win over the Miami Hurricanes in the 2026 College Football Playoff National Championship. He accepted an invitation to the 2026 Senior Bowl.

Statistics Year Team GP Rushing Receiving Att Yds Avg TD Rec Yds Avg TD 2020–21 James Madison 2 25 170 6.8 1 0 0 – 0 2021 James Madison 3 27 165 6.1 0 3 55 18.3 0 2022 James Madison 9 69 333 4.8 3 17 177 10.4 2 2023 James Madison 13 142 637 4.5 1 27 254 9.4 4 2024 Indiana 13 46 251 5.5 2 4 6 1.5 0 2025 Indiana 16 186 1,040 5.6 10 4 36 9.0 0Career 56 495 2,596 5.2 17 55 528 9.6 6

Professional career

Black was selected by the San Francisco 49ers in the third round (90th overall) of the 2026 NFL draft. San Francisco received the selection, as well as the 30th overall pick, from the Miami Dolphins in exchange for their 27th and 138th overall picks. On May 8, he signed his rookie deal with the 49ers.