Indiana’s receiver room is the kind of group that can keep a program sitting near the top of the sport, even after losing names like Omar Cooper Jr. and Elijah Sarratt to the NFL.
That’s the reality facing Curt Cignetti’s team heading into 2026. The Hoosiers open the season in the top 10, and the depth chart at wideout is a huge reason why there’s real belief they can push for another National Championship.
On paper, the headliners are easy to spot: Charlie Becker and Nick Marsh are both projected first-round NFL picks next season. The challenge now is getting them synced up with Josh Hoover.
Indiana’s offense under Mike Shanahan has also shown a knack for spreading the ball around, and that matters here. In each of the last two seasons, at least five receivers and/or tight ends have finished with more than 20 catches.
So yes, Marsh and Becker will command attention. But there should still be plenty of work to go around.
That’s where the real intrigue starts. The Hoosiers have already shown they can get a big jump from a player who was on the roster all along.
Cooper Jr. had 28 catches in 2024, then surged to a team-best 69 receptions last season. Indiana has another obvious candidate for that kind of leap in Becker, who posted 34 receptions in 2025 while trailing Cooper Jr., Sarratt, and E.J.
Williams Jr. Those three, along with the next two receivers behind Becker, are all out of eligibility.
There are other names waiting for a bigger role, too. Tyler Morris missed all of 2025 after a season-ending injury in spring camp, so he’ll need time to get back up to game speed. But he brings a résumé from Michigan that includes 23 catches for two touchdowns in 2024.
Davion Chandler and Lebron Bond are also back after combining for only six receptions last season, but both could be set for more work. Chandler may be the next in a line of Indiana receivers from Lawrence North High School that includes Donaven McCulley, Cooper Jr., and incoming 5-star prospect Monshun Sales. Bond, meanwhile, brings the kind of speed and quickness that can change how a defense has to play the ball.
Then there’s Shazz Preston, who arrived in the offseason after catching 43 passes for four touchdowns at Tulane. At 6’0” and 205 pounds, he has a very similar build to Morris, and the two should be battling for slot snaps.
The tight end picture is much murkier. Brock Schott and Andrew Barker are the likely top two, but neither has much proven production behind him. Schott had just two catches last year at Miami, while Barker appeared in one game at Indiana and didn’t record a stat.
That stands in contrast to last season’s tight end results, which were uneven but not empty. Riley Nowakowski set career highs in receptions and touchdowns, while Holden Staes was a bit less productive as a receiver than he had been at Tennessee, in part because the passing game got more from the former.
Still, last year suggests Indiana won’t need to force the tight ends into roles they can’t handle. If one or two of Preston, Morris, Chandler, or Bond gets rolling early, the pressure eases fast. Under Shanahan, Indiana’s top four pass catchers in both 2024 and 2025 were wide receivers, not tight ends or running backs.
And there’s one more wrinkle worth watching: Turbo Richard as a passing-game weapon. Last season at Boston College, he caught 30 passes for 7.1 yards per reception and two touchdowns. If Shanahan is willing to use him that way, Richard could take some of the load off the receivers and tight ends alike.
In Other News...
Indiana Fans Are Getting A Memorial Stadium Experience Theyve Never Had
Indiana Athletics is rolling out a noticeably different Memorial Stadium experience ahead of the 2026 college football season, with a set of gameday additions designed to make Saturdays feel bigger before the first snap. Among the new offerings are chances for fans to run onto the field with the team, take facility tours, and spend time in a new tailgate area that includes a photo op with the national championship trophy.
The upgrades go well beyond the novelty touches. Indiana is also adding expanded concessions, improved restroom facilities and stronger wireless service infrastructure through AT&T and Verizon, while commemorative signage tied to the 2025 national championship will be part of the backdrop. Rally towels featuring players and a pop-up IU Team Store round out the changes, giving the stadium a more polished and interactive feel for fans who have long wanted more from the gameday atmosphere. [Read more 🡒]
Indiana Title Defense Starts With One Big Week 1 Concern
Indiana opens its title defense at home against North Texas, and the spotlight lands immediately on a new era under center. Josh Hoover, the transfer from TCU, steps in as the Hoosiers starting quarterback after Fernando Mendoza moved on to the Las Vegas Raiders, leaving Indiana to defend a national championship with a different face leading the offense.
The timing makes the matchup feel a little less routine than a typical season opener. North Texas arrives with a new head coach and a roster that has been heavily remade after the previous coach left and a wave of transfers followed, so the Hoosiers are not just easing into a new season, they are trying to do it while answering one of the biggest questions of any title defense: how quickly the new quarterback settles in when the real pressure starts. [Read more 🡒]
Indiana Fans Will Have Strong Feelings About This Ohio State Setup
Indianas trip to Ohio State on Oct. 17 is shaping up as one of the more intriguing checkpoints on the schedule, and fans now have a better sense of when theyll be watching. Scott Dochterman of The Athletic reported that the Big Ten matchup is likely headed for a noon Eastern start on FOX, with the network holding the broadcast rights for the game under the leagues media deal.
For Indiana followers, that makes the weekend feel a little more defined, even as the broader stakes of the game remain the bigger draw. Dochtermans report also laid out the Hoosiers first five games along with their broadcast networks and times, giving a clearer picture of how the early-season slate will be presented as the team settles into the fall schedule. [Read more 🡒]