Written by: TJ Inman
Kaelon Black entered the 2024 season expected to lead the Indiana Hoosiers in rushing. He was one of many former James Madison Dukes that transferred to IU after the 2023 season, following Curt Cignetti and his coaching staff to Bloomington. Black averaged 4.49 yards per carry and led James Madison with 637 yards rushing on a team-high 142 attempts in 2023. He split the carries very evenly with TySon Lawton and was expected to continue doing that at IU. However, a couple of nagging injuries derailed Black’s 2024 campaign and he was a distant third in rushing attempts for the Hoosiers, well behind Lawton and Justice Ellison despite averaging 5.46 yards per carry (more than Ellison and Lawton).
Lawton and Ellison both graduated with the latter player becoming an assistant coach for Hoosiers this season and IU added Roman Hemby from Maryland and Lee Beebe from UAB. That gives Kaelon Black a role as a returning veteran in the running back room and an opportunity to step up into the workload he hoped to have last season.
“Definitely a lot of motivation, you know,” Black told the media after practice on Friday when speaking about entering the 2025 season after a limited 2024 campaign. “I’m always just going to stay humble about it. You know, whatever opportunity I get, I’m just going to make the most of it, just doing what I can off the field to make sure I’m ready to be great on the field. You know, believing in my teammates and thanking my coach for believing in me and receiving the opportunity to play more this year.”
Among the things Kaelon Black has consistently done to, in his words, get ready to be great on the field, has been to put the work in in the weight room. That was recognized recently by reporter Bruce Feldman as the senior running back was recognized as a member of his “CFB Freaks” list. Black was listed as squatting north of 500 pounds and bench pressing 415 pounds while sporting a vertical leap of 40 inches. Mikail Kamara said that Black presses 415 “with no apparent effort” but that type of strength comes from a whole lot of work and effort being put in over the years.
“I didn’t start lighting weights until I had gotten to high school and then from there, it just kind of took off,” Black said. “I had a great strength coach in high school, great strength coach here in Derek Owings. I’ve come a long way, eating right with nutrition, it all plays a factor.”
New teammate Roman Hemby said that he’d learned a lot from Kaelon Black since he made the move from College Park to Bloomington and Black recognized his role as a leader this season. “There’s nothing much to it really, just being myself,” Black said. “Cig has his system in place and all the guys just follow suit. He makes it easy for guys to learn, you just have to know that it’s a process and things are going to come sooner than later, so you just stay on the grind and that’s how things happen.”
IU’s running back room is well-stocked for the 2025 season with Kaelon Black being joined by Hemby and Beebe along with young players Khobie Martin and Sean Cuono. How the carries will be distributed will be determined on the field but veteran Kaelon Black has seen it all and he’ll be ready to give his best to the team when called upon.