Yahya Black
Career Summary
Yahya Black is a defensive lineman from Marshall, Minnesota, who played college football at Iowa.
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Early Life
Black is from Marshall, Minnesota, where he attended Marshall High School.
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High School
At Marshall High School, Black earned all-state recognition as a senior and was district Defensive Player of the Year. He set the school career sack record with 17.5 and also competed in track and basketball.
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College Career
Black played five seasons at Iowa, appearing in 53 games and starting the final 27. He developed into a full-time defensive tackle starter in 2023 and 2024 after contributing as a reserve in his first three seasons.
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Path to the NFL
Black arrived at Iowa from Marshall High School, redshirted in 2020 and steadily grew into a 27-game starter. He finished as a Player Council member and two-time honorable mention All-Big Ten defensive lineman.
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Career Accomplishments
Black earned honorable mention All-Big Ten honors in both 2023 and 2024. As a senior, he recorded 34 tackles, seven tackles for loss, a sack, two pass breakups, two quarterback pressures and a blocked field goal.
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Playing Style
Listed at 6-foot-5 and 317 pounds, Black played defensive tackle with a disruptive interior profile. His 2023 season included 51 tackles, 3.5 sacks, five pass breakups and a forced fumble.
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30983, 00-0040188, 2002-04-21, Yahya Black, Yahya, Black
MFT PLAYER RANKINGS
Current player ranking
MFT Score: 55.2
2026 preseason baseline. Position-relative and updated through the site’s weekly review process.