49ers Add Explosive Talent with Kaelon Black Pick

Brandon Ellis
Kaelon Black at the Indiana Pro Day

The San Francisco 49ers add some depth to the running back room with another former JMU Duke and Indiana Hooiser, Kaelon Black. Black was one of the most impactful offensive players, along with Fernando Mendoza and Elijah Sarratt, who I will have a piece out on in a little bit here on the site. But Black had the best season of his collegiate career during the 2025 National Championship season. 

Black had 1,040 yards and 10 touchdowns for the Hoosier and Curt Cignetti last season, which was electric production in the Big 10. The Virginia Beach prospect is going to be a valued asset for the 49ers because he can spell Christian McCaffery at times when needed, but he does need to work on the 3rd down pass catching aspects a bit. Let’s dive into Black a bit more. 

From JMU to Indiana, Black was a long-term guy: Perfect Fit for 49ers?

Like previously mentioned, Black followed Cignetti for the entirety of his career during his six-year collegiate career. That dedication to the Cignetti system proved to be fruitful as he was selected late in the third round with the 90th overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. He can make people miss in the open field, as people have seen, especially during his Indiana tenure. And now he gets to learn from McCaffery and the 49ers’ offensive talent. This is a good fit for the running back from Virginia Beach, in my opinion. 

I did wish the Eagles would’ve taken a chance on him, but I get why they didn’t, with an RB room already including Saquon Barkley, Tank Bigsby, and Will Shipley. But that’s how much I love Black as a running back prospect, and I am jealous that the 49ers are getting that talent in an already stacked running back room led by McCaffery. 

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Assistant Total Apex Sports Site Expert, I have been with the company for almost two full years. Have stringer experience for the News Virginian and Harrisonburg Daily News Record. Graduated from James Madison University.