The Hooisers are coming off a National Championship, and Indiana is expected to contend again in 2026. They will be replacing many parts, including players graduating from the program and heading to the NFL. One of those stars decided to go from winning a title to the Senior Bowl, deciding against skipping a chance to show off his skills.
Indiana running back Kaelon Black went straight from the field to prepping for the Senior Bowl. He was asked if he considered skipping the game.
“I was waiting to see after the game how my body felt, and it felt great, so I just decided to come and show what I could do,” Black said, according to Lance Zierlein and Eric Edholm of NFL.com.
Currently, Kaelon Black is not seen as one of the best running backs in the draft, according to ESPN’s Mel Kiper’s Big Board. He is currently ranked as the 11th back in the NFL Draft. Most mock drafts have him going in the fourth to fifth round of the upcoming draft. Still, he was a stud for Indiana and could have a major impact on a team at the next level.
Black ran for 1,040 yards and ten touchdowns this past season for the Hooisers, including 79 yards in the National Championship, and 241 yards plus three scores in the playoffs. In his career, between time at James Madison and Indiana, he ran for 2,596 yards and 17 scores.
Still, Black did not have the best practice at the Senior Bowl. He had some solid runs, but also had a fumble and a dropped pass that ended up being intercepted.
“Definitely a below-average day for myself,” he said. “I’m planning to get with the quarterbacks and work on that mesh and just iron out the details for (Thursday) so everything is right.”
The former Hooisers back is on the American Team for the Senior Bowl. He will be in the backfield with Adam Randall (Clemson), Mike Washington Jr. (Arkansas), Rahsul Faison (South Carolina) and Jaydn Ott (Oklahoma). He is also the only player from Indiana on either roster.
The Senior Bowl takes place on Saturday in Mobile, Alabama. Meanwhile, Black will hope to hear his name called at the NFL Draft starting April 23.
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