After being selected by the San Francisco 49ers with the 90th overall pick in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft, former Hoosier running back Kaelon Black is looking to make an immediate impact as he begins his professional career. That process is already in motion, as Black officially made San Francisco's 53-man roster over the weekend.
Ranking every Indiana Football position group from strongest to weakest
Black made quite the impression during training camp, and put together back-to-back strong showings to close out the preseason. In those contests, he ran 12 times for 61 yards, which equates to a strong 5.1 yards per rush. With Week 1 of the NFL season quickly approaching, Black is already emerging as a key piece of San Francisco's RB room.
Kaelon Black expected to be San Francisco's RB2 entering Week 1
Black entered training camp penicled in as San Francisco's RB3 behind Christian McCaffrey and Jordan James. However, both McCaffrey and James missed a good chunk of camp with injuries. That opened the door for Black to get first-team reps on multiple occasions.
It's safe to say the former Hoosier standout made the most of his opportunity. The 49ers have released their unofficial depth chart for Week 1 of the 2026 season, and Black is listed as San Francisco's RB2.
It's a big development for the rookie playmaker, as Black now seems poised to get a decent amount of opportunities to thrive early on in the season. San Francisco beat reporters have been noting Black's explosiveness throughout fall camp, and it seems that area of his game has served him well over the last few weeks.
Kaelon Black must be ready when his NFL opportunity arrives
As the direct backup to McCaffrey, it's imperative that Black continues to impress and stays ready for when his name is called. McCaffrey is one of the best players in the league, but his career has been notoriously plagued by injuries. Now entering his age-30 season, McCaffrey has played seven games or fewer in three different seasons since 2020. He's electric when healthy, but durability has not been a defining characteristic of his career.
Last year was one of full health for McCaffrey, as his 311 carries were a career-high. In total, he ran for 1,202 yards and 10 touchdowns while also hauling in 102 catches for 924 yards and seven touchdowns in the passing game. McCaffrey, a 4x Pro Bowler, also missed significant time during training camp. Coming off a season of 400+ touches and plenty of wear and tear, Black's position as San Francisco's RB2 is extremely valuable.
Black played a vital role in Indiana's National Championship season. Along with Roman Hemby, Indiana possessed arguably the best 1-2 RB punch in the country. Both Black and Hemby eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark on the ground, while Black led the Hoosiers with 10 rushing touchdowns to go along with a solid 5.6 yards per carry average. As he begins his NFL career, Hoosier fans are eager to see what he can do at the next level. The 49ers open the new season next week on Thursday, September 10 against the Rams in Australia.
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