The San Francisco 49ers under head coach Kyle Shanahan have been a team that loves to draft running backs, and they did it yet again with the selection of Kaelon Black of Indiana University at pick 90 overall in Round 3 of the 2026 NFL Draft.
The selection of Black gives the 49ers their sixth drafted running back in six years, joining Jordan James (2025), Isaac Guerendo (2024), Tyrion Davis-Price (2022), Trey Sermon (2021), and Elijah Mitchell (2021). Black joins an already-crowded running back room that includes James, Guerendo, McCaffrey, and Patrick Taylor. Black, who turns 25 in October, stood out for the national champion Hoosiers last season with 1,040 yards and 10 touchdowns on 186 carries (5.6 average).
Here's a look at what to know about Black as he begins his time with the 49ers.
A key contributor to a championship, as a runner and blocker
After a prep career at Salem High School in Virginia Beach, Virginia, Black (5-9, 211, 4.45 40) started his college career at James Madison, where he gained 970 yards on 211 carries (4.6 average) with four touchdowns while having the 2021 season cut short due to a torn ACL. He then followed head Curt Cignetti from James Madison to Indiana in 2024 and wound up totaling 1,291 yards and 12 touchdowns on 232 carries. He formed a 1-2 punch with Roman Hemby, who gained 1,120 yards alongside Black.
Black had a reputation for being a tough running back who could get yardage when Indiana needed it most while also having the ability to break the occasional big play. Indiana play-by-play announcer Nick Rodecap of WIUX sports told Packers Wire that Black was also a standout blocker for quarterback, Heisman Trophy winner and first overall pick Fernando Mendoza.
"He was extremely reliable in short-yardage situations, as he seemingly always found a way to at least gain some yardage in difficult situations," Rodecap said. "I also think that he was a great pass blocker. He and Hemby both made that a focal point in their playstyles in 2025, and it paid big dividends... Black always did his best to keep Fernando Mendoza clean."
Black was one of many standout playmakers for the championship Indiana offense that included Mendoza, Hemby, and wide receivers Omar Cooper, Elijah Surratt, E.J. Williams, and Charlie Becker. He'll carry over many of the lessons he learned at Indiana to the 49ers, including how to contribute to a winning culture.
"Just being under Coach Cignetti for so long has taught me a lot, and I'm truly blessed to be coached by him for such a long time," Black told reporters on Friday. "Just great team building, having a great locker room, no cliques, and just everyone being focused on the same common goal regardless of what anyone says on the outside. "
Why the 49ers selected Black
Black was expected by many to be a Day 3 pick, perhaps as late as Round 6. But the 49ers decided not to let him slip that far despite needs at other position that are thought of on the outside as being more pressing.
49ers head coach John Lynch explained Friday why the team decided to take Black where they did, saying the 49ers had him rated around where they selected him.
"We talked a lot about staying true to our board and our convictions," Lynch said. "Kaelon Black was a kid that -- you hear this story a lot -- as the process went, we just kept feeling better and better and better. His film speaks for itself -- a really hard-running kid, a rocked-up kid. We had an opportunity to visit with him at the Senior Bowl, and you can't help but love the kid and everything he stands for. People there just talked about one of their favorite kids in the program -- a lot of that from the school, from the strength coach, from the offensive coordinator. And then you turn on the film, and we really feel he can help us in a big way. We're really excited to have landed him."
Black was surprised to hear his name called when it was, but he was visibly thrilled to join the 49ers.
"We talked, but I had no idea it was coming," Black said. "It's a dream come true to be in the NFL now and be on a team that I've also looked up to growing up."
How he fits with the 49ers
As previously mentioned, Black will be one of four primary candidates to give the 49ers depth and carries behind Christian McCaffrey. Black said Friday his college experience makes him a good fit for the style of offense he'll find with the 49ers.
"It's a style that I'm comfortable with," Black said. "We ran a lot of outside zone at IU as well, even back to my days at JMU. So I feel running outside zone is going to be even more of my bread and butter now."
Black also seems to have struck an early rapport with running backs Bobby Turner, whom he spoke with during the draft process.
"I love him as a coach," Black said. "I can tell how excited he is. The way that we talked and interacted, it seemed like we've been in contact with each other for a long time."
What about pass-catching?
A look at Black's stats reveal a noticeable lack of pass-catching production at Indiana, where he caught just eight passes in two seasons after catching 44 at James Madison. Chalk that up to the fact the Hoosiers focused on getting their passes to the aforementioned receivers, who accounted for most of the team's receptions in 2025.
"It kind of got schemed out," Black said. "Being at IU, we had some great receivers... Anytime Fernando was throwing the ball to those guys, they were catching it. So it wasn't like we couldn't do it as running backs. We had to make sure we stayed on it and stayed focused and it was always there."
But while Black has the potential to contribute as a receiver, it doesn't sound like he's going to press for a chance to prove it with the 49ers, opting instead to see what they have in store for him.
"Honestly it's one of those things where I'm going to take it all in," Black said.
A visit to remember/forget
One pre-draft incident in particular showed Black's willingness to go the extra mile (or 200) to get done what he needs to get done.
Black had a visit scheduled with the Cincinnati Bengals, but he wound up getting stuck at the airport in Chicago due to weather. Black slept at the airport, then he rode all the way to Cincinnati early the next morning to make his scheduled meeting.
"I was coming from Vegas on a visit and got stuck in Chicago because a lot of rain," Black said. "I think Cincinnati was around a five-hour drive away, and the next available flight wasn't until 1 pm the next day. So I pretty much would have missed the visit. So they were like, 'Yeah, we're just going to get you guys an Uber.' We got in the uber and took the ride, and by this time it was probably like 9, 10 am when we found out we got to Cincinnati. So we were in the airport for a long time, but it's just a testament to character -- just doing whatever, going through whatever to make things happen. And I feel like that's a character trait I carry in my life as well."
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