A lot of the attention around Indiana’s rise under Curt Cignetti has centered on the transfer portal, and for good reason. That’s been a huge part of how the Hoosiers built what they’ve built over the last two seasons.
But heading into 2026, Indiana may have its biggest stars already in the building. ESPN’s preseason Top-100 players list includes three Hoosiers inside the top 25, and all three are back from last year’s national championship team.
That group gives Indiana a real foundation going into the new season, with proven production on both sides of the ball.
Offensive tackle Carter Smith leads the way as ESPN’s top-ranked offensive lineman and No. 10 overall player in college football. The redshirt senior has become a true anchor for the Hoosiers, with a 6-foot-5, 308-pound frame and 41 straight starts at left tackle dating back to 2023.
Over 2,516 snaps, he has allowed just four sacks. Smith was also the first Indiana player to win Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year honors, and after helping keep Fernando Mendoza protected during his Heisman season, he enters 2026 with even more expectations.
New Indiana quarterback Josh Hoover is certainly glad Smith is still in Bloomington.
At wide receiver, Charlie Becker comes in at No. 17 nationally. His start to last season was quiet, and he didn’t make his first start until October 25 against UCLA.
Once he got rolling, though, he turned into one of the country’s most dangerous playmakers. Becker finished with 34 catches for 679 yards and four touchdowns, with most of that damage coming in November, December and January.
He also made a major impact during Indiana’s CFP run to the national title, piling up 290 receiving yards and two touchdowns in the postseason. With Elijah Sarratt and Omar Cooper Jr. now off to the NFL, Becker is lined up to step in as Indiana’s WR1 from the start.
The top defensive name for Indiana is Tyrique Tucker, who ESPN ranked No. 21 overall. Even as most of the James Madison transfers who followed Cignetti to Indiana have moved on, Tucker is back for another year.
He posted 6.0 sacks last season, tied for third nationally among primary defensive tackles, and his eight pass-rush sacks created led all defensive tackles. With 42 games of experience, Tucker looks ready to be one of the best interior defenders in the country again in 2026.
In Other News...
Charlie Becker Just Turned Indiana Touchdowns Into Something Much Bigger
Indiana receiver Charlie Becker turned a simple scoring milestone into something bigger on Aug. 26, using an appearance on the Pat McAfee Show to announce a season-long pledge tied to his touchdowns. For every time he reaches the end zone this fall, Becker said he will donate $1,000 to Huddle for Hope, the ALS foundation, a cause that carries personal meaning because of his aunts diagnosis.
Pat McAfee added another layer to the effort by saying on his show that he will match Beckers donations, giving the pledge even more reach beyond the field. It is the kind of gesture that gives Indiana fans something to follow beyond the box score, with Beckers production now linked to a cause that stretches well past football. [Read more 🡒]
Indiana WR Room Is Suddenly Chasing Something Program-Changing
ESPNs latest 2027 NFL mock draft has given Indianas receiver room a kind of spotlight it has not often enjoyed, with Jordan Reid projecting Charlie Becker and Nick Marsh both as first-round picks. Becker was slotted at No. 10 to Washington, while Marsh checked in at No. 31 to Buffalo, a pairing that instantly raises the ceiling of what the Hoosiers could be building on the perimeter.
For a program that has spent much of its history trying to prove it can develop elite wideout talent, the bigger story is what those projections represent beyond individual praise. Indiana could be looking at multiple first-round selections in consecutive drafts for the first time in school history, and the buzz does not stop with Becker and Marsh, either, as the 2027 class could still feature more Hoosiers in the conversation. [Read more 🡒]
Indianas Playoff Hopes May Ride On What This New QB Becomes
Josh Hoovers arrival gives Indiana something it did not have enough of last season: a proven, productive quarterback who already looks comfortable in the kind of offense the Hoosiers want to run. The TCU transfer is expected to slide into an RPO-heavy system that should suit his quick processing and accuracy, which makes the fit intriguing even before he takes a snap in Bloomington.
The reason Hoover matters so much is that the ceiling here is tied directly to how far his game can grow inside that scheme. If he sharpens his decision-making, limits the risky throws and keeps the offense operating at a high level, Indiana could have a quarterback who not only stabilizes the unit but also pushes it into a far more dangerous place for the 2026 season. [Read more 🡒]