Charlie Becker and Nick Marsh are giving Indiana fans plenty to dream about heading into 2026, and the buzz is easy to understand. Even after losing Omar Cooper Jr. and Elijah Sarratt to the NFL, the Hoosiers still have a receiver room that looks loaded, with Becker and Marsh positioned to keep the standard high.
Becker is back after turning into a star in the second half of last season. Marsh arrived from Michigan State early in the offseason, and Indiana plans to lean heavily on what he brings to the table. The early hype around the pair is already real, and the idea is simple: these two could give the Hoosiers another elite receiving tandem.
There’s also a bigger layer here. Indiana’s 2026 NFL Draft was already a landmark moment for the program.
The Hoosiers set a school record with eight players selected, and the top of the draft brought even more history. Fernando Mendoza went No. 1 overall to the Raiders, while Cooper came off the board at No. 30 to the Jets, making them the first pair of Hoosier teammates ever taken in the first round of the same NFL Draft.
Becker and Marsh are now starting to build their own draft case. CBS Sports projected Becker as a first-round pick earlier this offseason, and ESPN listed him as the No. 4 wide receiver in the country entering the new season.
Marsh isn’t far behind in the conversation either, with The Athletic ranking him as the No. 4 NFL-ready WR in the country, just behind Becker at No.
If both wideouts end up going in the first round of the 2027 NFL Draft, they’d join a very short list. They would be just the eighth pair of college football wide receiver teammates to be first-round picks in the same draft, and only the second Big Ten duo to do it, alongside Ohio State’s Ted Ginn Jr. and Anthony Gonzalez in 2007.
That kind of company is rare, and the fit is what makes the possibility so intriguing. Becker is the vertical threat, the guy who can win downfield and go get contested jump balls.
His back-shoulder work stood out during Indiana’s College Football Playoff run. Marsh brings a different kind of danger, using his athleticism and eye-popping speed to pile up yards after the catch.
Put them together, and Indiana has a chance to roll out one of the most dangerous receiver pairings in the country.
In Other News...
Indiana Fans Are Feeling The Loss Of A Voice They Grew Up With
For four decades, Joe Smith was part of the soundtrack around Indiana University football and basketball, a familiar presence for fans who grew up hearing his voice and the stories he carried with it. His work went beyond the box score, too, because Smith had a long connection to IU sports and the local high school scene, which gave his coverage a sense of place that resonated in Bloomington and beyond.
Smith retired from IUs radio broadcast in 2022, but he never really disappeared from the conversation around the program, staying involved with IU sports coverage until his death. For a fan base that measures its memories in voices as much as victories, the loss lands hard, especially when so many listeners can still picture the cadence and warmth that made him such a trusted part of game day. [Read more 🡒]
Kyle Schwarber Had The Perfect Reaction To Indiana's Historic Rise
Kyle Schwarber has been keeping close tabs on Indiana footballs remarkable run, and the former Hoosiers player has had a front-row seat to the surge in attention around a program that spent years fighting for relevance. Between serving as a guest picker on ESPNs College GameDay and taking part as honorary captain during the Peach Bowl, the current MLB star has become one of the more recognizable voices celebrating what Indiana has built under Curt Cignetti.
Schwarber has praised the teams rise and Cignettis work in turning the Hoosiers into a national story, a sharp contrast to the version of Indiana football he knew as a student. He also noted how much the fan base has changed since then, with the energy around the program now matching the results on the field in a way that felt hard to imagine not long ago. [Read more 🡒]
Monshun Sales Puts Indiana At The Center Of A Massive Recruiting Moment
A major recruiting spotlight is about to land on Bloomington, with Monshun Sales set to make his college choice on July 17. The 5-star wide receiver in the 2027 class has climbed to No. 7 overall in the Rivals national rankings and remains the No. 2 player at his position, giving Indiana a real chance to land one of the most coveted pass catchers in the country.
Indiana has stayed firmly in the mix as Sales narrows toward a decision, and Rivals Industry Consensus currently gives the Hoosiers an 81.7% chance to land him. For a program trying to keep building momentum on the recruiting trail, this is the kind of announcement that can shape how the next wave of prospects views Indiana, even before the final call is made. [Read more 🡒]