Indiana is expected to contend again in 2026, but the program will replace several key pieces who headed to the NFL. Black’s decision to take the field at Mobile comes amid a broader focus on how Indiana will reload with new talent after losing impact players.
In the current draft landscape, Black is not viewed as a top-tier day-one back. Mel Kiper’s Big Board lists him as the 11th running back, and most mock drafts project him in the fourth to fifth rounds, despite a standout campaign for the Hoosiers.
This season, Black rushed for 1,040 yards and 10 touchdowns, highlighted by 79 rushing yards in the national title game and 241 yards with three scores in the playoff run. Across his time at James Madison and Indiana, he has accumulated 2,596 rushing yards and 17 touchdowns.
However, Black’s Senior Bowl practice had its rough moments, including a fumble and a dropped pass that was intercepted. “Definitely a below-average day for myself,” he said, adding that he plans to work with the quarterbacks on mesh routes to tighten the offense’s timing.
Black is listed on the American Team’s depth chart, sharing the backfield with Adam Randall (Clemson), Mike Washington Jr. (Arkansas), Rahsul Faison (South Carolina), and Jaydn Ott (Oklahoma). He remains the lone Indiana representative on either roster as the game approaches.
The Senior Bowl is set for Saturday in Mobile, Alabama, ahead of the NFL Draft, which begins on April 23. Black will look to parlay his Senior Bowl performance into improved NFL opportunities as he eyes a professional career.
