Charlie Becker

Charlie Becker went from a special-teams body to a first-round name in about two months. A three-star recruit out of Father Ryan in Nashville, he was the one holdover Curt Cignetti kept featuring on a transfer-built roster, and once injuries forced him into a bigger role in November 2025 Indiana could not take him off the field. He posted two 100-yard games that month, caught six balls for 126 yards against Ohio State in the Big Ten title game, and converted a fourth-and-5 in the fourth quarter of the national championship win over Miami. At 6-4 and 207 pounds he is the prototype outside receiver, but what separates him is that he can really run: a Tennessee state champion in both hurdles, he was GPS-timed at 22.5 miles per hour this spring, faster than former teammate and first-round pick Omar Cooper Jr., per a source who spoke to CBS Sports. His game is vertical. He led the Big Ten at 20 yards a catch as Fernando Mendoza's third option, and CBS and A to Z Sports both credit him with winning 13 of 17 contested throws, most of them back-shoulder or above-the-rim balls down the sideline. Walter Football calls him a carbon copy of Alec Pierce, and A to Z puts him in the Christian Watson mold. The questions are volume and variety: only 45 career targets through two seasons, over a third of them contested, and a route menu that lived on fades, posts, gos and corners. Last Word On Sports notes he still has to prove he can separate in the short area. The 2026 start, with 30 catches, 529 yards and eight scores through six games as the clear WR1 for Josh Hoover, says the larger role is holding up. He also led Indiana in special-teams tackles and blocks with real enthusiasm, so the floor is a useful pro even if the route tree takes time.