This Iowa Hawkeye Is Making A Name For Himself At Reese's Senior Bowl

This former Iowa Hawkeye is boosting his NFL Draft stock with his impressive play at the Reese's Senior Bowl.
Iowa defensive lineman Yahya Black (94) tackled Wisconsin quarterback Braedyn Locke (18) in the Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024 at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa.
Iowa defensive lineman Yahya Black (94) tackled Wisconsin quarterback Braedyn Locke (18) in the Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024 at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa. / Julia Hansen/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
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With the Reese's Senior Bowl in full force, the Iowa Hawkeyes currently in Mobile, AL are standing out against some of the nations best prospects in the 2025 NFL Draft.

There have been many former Iowa players that dominated at this event in prior years, including Riley Moss, Chauncey Golston, and Desmond King. The tradition continued this year with defensive tackle Yahya Black.

Many members of the NFL Draft media did not recognize Black ahead of his Senior Bowl appearance, but he quickly jumped on everyone's radar after measuring in at 6-foot-5, 337 lbs.

But it wasn't just his measurements that drew attention from the media. Throughout the first two days of the four-day even, Black has put together some impressive tape against some of the best lineman in the upcoming draft. The former Iowa defensive lineman demonstrated his ability to get in the backfield against Texas Tech's Caleb Rogers in a 1-on-1 rep.

It should come as no surprise to Hawkeye fans that Black has stood out at the Senior Bowl. He was a force in the run game in 2024, as he finished his final season with 27 stops and an 81.0 PFF run defense grade. In addition to his impact in the run game, he proved throughout his five-year career at Iowa that he can create pressure on the quarterback. In his final two seasons, Black had 26 quarterback pressures, according to PFF.

This year's defensive tackle class is one of the best we've seen in recent memory. NFL Draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah released his top 50 rankings on Wednesday, which included seven tackles. While Black may not be at the top of most draft boards, he could fall to a perfect situation in day three and become a hidden gem at the next level.


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