At this juncture, you'd be hard-pressed to find a Miami Dolphins fan who wouldn't give the same answer as to who the best player on the team is: running back De'Von Achane. In a lot of ways, Achane represents the last of the 2023 outfit that brought Super Bowl hopes to the city, before things came crashing down in true Dolphins fashion.
Achane's presence on the team hasn't stopped the Dolphins from poking around draft-eligible running backs, and the latest report from KPRC2 NFL insider Aaron Wilson has unearthed yet another potential target on Jon-Eric Sullivan's radar. The prospect in question is none other than the Indiana Hoosiers' Kaelon Black.
Black is on the heels of a National Championship-winning season, where he was an integral part of the Hoosiers' diverse offensive attack. In 2025, he rushed 186 times, churning out 1,040 yards (5.6 average) with 10 TDs. The 5'10", 209-pound wrecking ball was somehow excluded from the invitation list of the NFL Combine — a development that had some calling him the biggest RB combine snub of the cycle.
Kaelon Black would bring a championship mindset to the struggling Miami Dolphins franchise
By now, many have become familiar with the story of Curt Cignetti. The one-time James Madison University head coach took one of the most difficult jobs in college football when he agreed to be the head coach at Indiana, one of the NCAA's losingest institutions. There were naturally plenty of skeptics.
Cignetti's initial strategy, however, was to bring some of the players who helped put him on the map for this promotion to kickstart a winning culture in Bloomington. One of his JMU imports was running back Kaelon Black. Black had split rushing duties in his two seasons with the Dukes, but stuck it out anyway. He remained part of the stable with the Hoosiers and had his breakout in 2025. For his career, he had 443 carries, 2,261 yards (5.1 average), and 16 TDs.
Back in 2024, following Indiana's spring game, Cignetti gave Black (and his fellow running backs) one of the best compliments a coach can bestow, as told by the IndyStar.
"I think that group definitely caught my eye … I just think our running back room is faster, more dynamic, good at pass pro, good at catching the ball out of the backfield, can break tackles … All three of those guys just love football … They're football nuts. Tough guys. They're tough guys."Curt Cignetti
Pro Football Focus ranks Black their No. 187 prospect (13th among running backs). His excellent 83.7 grade for the season ranked 65th among 448 qualifiers at the position. According to their Big Board, eight RBs ranked below Black were invited to the Combine, further illustrating the severity of his snub.
While running back is hardly a need for the Dolphins, it's hard to argue the value that a player like Kaelon Black could bring to the team as a late-round selection. An all-around solid player, he would be excellent depth as he works his way toward playing time. Jon-Eric Sullivan and Jeff Hafley have spoken at length about building a tough, hard-nosed culture in Miami — Kaelon Black checks all the boxes of what they're looking for.