COUNTDOWN TO KICKOFF: Day 8 Kaelon Black
Height: 5’10”
Weight: 211 pounds
Hometown: Virginia Beach, Virginia
Class/Position: Redshirt Senior / Running Back
The Hoosier Huddle countdown to kickoff is almost complete! For the 100 days leading up to kickoff, we at Hoosier Huddle will feature every player from the 2025 roster in anticipation of Indiana’s first game of the season against Old Dominion. Today, we will highlight a returning player in the running back room, Kaelon Black.
Black joined the Hoosiers last season after following Curt Cignetti from James Madison. With the Dukes, Black played in 27 games with 16 starts over his four seasons, establishing himself as one of Cignetti’s most trusted tailbacks and even leading JMU in rushing yards in 2023. Despite playing in all 13 games last year, he likely had fewer opportunities than he would have liked behind Justice Ellison and Ty Son Lawton. However, the opportunities he did see were extremely productive, averaging over five yards per carry.
This season, he will once again join a stacked running back room alongside Maryland transfer Roman Hemby and UAB transfer Lee Beebe Jr. With his time in Cigneti’s system, his experience at the collegiate level in general, and his bruising physicality (he was named to Bruce Feldman’s Freak List this offseason), he looks to have an expanded role on the team this year. He certainly has the right mentality, as he displayed earlier this fall after August 8th’s practice.
“Cig has his system in place and all the guys just follow suit,” he said. “It’s really easy to get along with, 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.”
The Hoosier Huddle Countdown to Kickoff continues each and every day so be sure to check back often for the latest profile piece!