Yahya Black
Black with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2025 | |||||||||||
| No. 94 – Pittsburgh Steelers | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position | Defensive end | ||||||||||
| Roster status | Active | ||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||
| Born | April 21, 2002 | ||||||||||
| Listed height | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) | ||||||||||
| Listed weight | 336 lb (152 kg) | ||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||
| High school | Marshall (MN) | ||||||||||
| College | Iowa (2020–2024) | ||||||||||
| NFL draft | 2025: 5th round, 164th overall pick | ||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics as of 2025 | |||||||||||
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Yahya Black (born April 21, 2002) is an American professional football defensive end for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Iowa Hawkeyes and was selected by the Steelers in the fifth round of the 2025 NFL draft.
Early life
Black attended Marshall High School in Marshall, Minnesota. He was rated as a three-star recruit and commit to play college football for the Iowa Hawkeyes.[1]
College career
As a freshman, Black notched three tackles with half a tackle loss.[2] In week 4 of the 2021 season, he forced a fumble in a win over Colorado State.[3] In the 2021 season, Black totaled 18 tackles, two pass deflection, and a forced fumble.[4] He finished the 2022 season with 11 tackles with one and a half being for a loss, a sack, and two pass deflections.[5] In week 7 of the 2023 season, Black notched four tackles, a sack, a forced fumble, and a safety, in a win over Wisconsin.[6] That season, he started all 14 games for the Hawkeyes and tallied 51 tackles with five being for a loss, three and a half sacks, and five pass deflections.[7][8]
Professional career
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft 5+3⁄4 in (1.97 m) |
336 lb (152 kg) |
35 in (0.89 m) |
10+1⁄4 in (0.26 m) |
5.39 s | 1.88 s | 3.12 s | 4.58 s | 7.58 s | 25.5 in (0.65 m) |
8 ft 5 in (2.57 m) | ||
| All values from NFL Combine/Pro Day[9][10] | ||||||||||||
Black was selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the fifth round, as the 164th overall pick in the 2025 NFL draft.[11]
NFL career statistics
Regular season
| Year | Team | Games | Tackles | Interceptions | Fumbles | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Cmb | Solo | Ast | Sck | TFL | Int | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | PD | FF | Fmb | FR | Yds | TD | ||
| 2025 | PIT | 17 | 3 | 28 | 10 | 18 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Career | 17 | 3 | 28 | 10 | 18 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
Postseason
| Year | Team | Games | Tackles | Interceptions | Fumbles | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Cmb | Solo | Ast | Sck | TFL | Int | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | PD | FF | Fmb | FR | Yds | TD | ||
| 2025 | PIT | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Career | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
Personal life
In November 2025, Black married his wife, Hailiy Okins.[12]
References
- ^ Dochterman, Scott (February 3, 2020). "Why 4-star athlete Yahya Black is a dream recruit for Iowa". The New York Times. Retrieved July 14, 2024.
- ^ "Yahya Black 2020 Game Logs". Sports Reference. Retrieved July 14, 2024.
- ^ Steppe, John (August 22, 2023). "Iowa defensive lineman Yahya Black has opportunity to showcase 'unique ability'". The Gazette. Retrieved July 13, 2024.
- ^ "Yahya Black 2021 Game Logs". Sports Reference. Retrieved July 14, 2024.
- ^ "Yahya Black 2022 Game Logs". Sports Reference. Retrieved July 14, 2024.
- ^ McGowan, Matt (October 15, 2023). "Highlight to Watch: Iowa defensive tackle Yahya Black's safety against Wisconsin". The Daily Iowan. Retrieved July 14, 2024.
- ^ Bohnenkamp, John (June 26, 2024). "Yahya Black Happy to Be Back". Iowa Hawkeyes on SI. SI.com. Retrieved July 13, 2024.
- ^ Clough, Eliot (December 6, 2023). "SOURCE: Yahya Black Expected to Return in 2024". Rivals.com. Archived from the original on July 14, 2024. Retrieved July 13, 2024.
- ^ Reuter, Chad; Zierlein, Lance. "Yahya Black Draft and Combine Prospect Profile". NFL.com. Retrieved February 28, 2025.
- ^ "Yahya Black College Football Profile". DraftScout.com. Retrieved February 28, 2025.
- ^ Varley, Teresa (April 26, 2025). "Steelers select Black in fifth round". Steelers.com. Retrieved May 10, 2025.
- ^ @steelers; (November 22, 2025). "Congratulations to Yahya & Hailiy Black!" – via Instagram.