Indiana’s offense is carrying real weight into 2026, and the conversation around it starts with a simple idea: there may not be a soft spot anywhere.
That was the message Charlie Becker delivered after IU’s second fall camp practice on Thursday, when a question about Michigan State transfer receiver Nick Marsh turned into a full-throated endorsement of the unit around him.
“We got weapons all over now. With Turbo (Richard), Khobie (Martin), and Lee (Beebe Jr.), our running backs, I mean, shoot, those guys are some studs.
Our O-line is just a bunch of dawgs, ballers. Josh (Hoover) is a beast.
Look at our offense, and, you know, where do you see a hole? We got receivers, we got depth there,” Becker said.
“We got dawgs all over the field. And adding Nick Marsh just adds another layer to that.”
That confidence is coming off a 2025 season in which Indiana’s offense was one of the best in the country behind Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Fernando Mendoza. Mike Shanahan’s group finished 17th nationally in total offense at 452 yards per game, and it was even more dangerous on the ground, ranking 12th with 212.9 rushing yards per game.
Reaching that level again will be a tall order. The bar is high enough that matching last season’s numbers would be an accomplishment in itself, even if the Hoosiers don’t come close to the 41.6 points per game that ranked third in the nation in scoring offense.
Still, head coach Curt Cignetti isn’t demanding that his team chase some oversized statistical crown.
“We don’t have a big offensive ego,” Cignetti said at Big Ten Media Days in late July. “Like, we don’t have to lead the country or conference in scoring, even though we lead the conference in scoring just about every year since ’19. We don’t have to.”
Indiana has the pieces to make that approach work. The backfield gives the offense a different look every snap, with Martin, Richard and Beebe forming a versatile trio. Up front, Bob Bostad’s offensive line was already one of the best in the nation last season, and it returns three starters while adding Joe Brunner through the transfer portal.
But the deepest and most talented group might be at receiver, where the Hoosiers have enough options to keep defenses busy even before the ball gets to Marsh and Becker.
Lebron Bond and Davion Chandler both flashed as freshmen last year. Shazz Preston arrives from Tulane with real production on his résumé after posting 43 catches for 723 yards and four touchdowns. Tyler Morris gives Indiana another option in the slot, and he comes in healthy after missing last season with a knee injury.
The headliners, though, are Marsh and Becker.
Marsh was Michigan State’s top receiver in each of the last two seasons, and he did it in offenses that weren’t exactly built to help him shine. Last year he finished with 662 yards, 59 catches and six touchdowns, and there’s room for those numbers to jump in Indiana’s system.
“He’s a beast,” Becker said. “He’s worked his butt off this offseason, and I can’t wait to see what he does on Saturdays.”
Becker has become just as important to the Hoosiers’ attack. The Nashville, Tennessee native went from a second-team option to a key piece in the middle of last season, and his production followed.
He closed the year with 34 receptions for 679 yards and four touchdowns, with big catches showing up in big moments. He hauled in a deep ball from Mendoza in the Big Ten Championship Game that put IU on the doorstep of victory, then caught touchdown passes in both the Rose Bowl and the Peach Bowl.
Cignetti said Wednesday that Becker’s rise has been about more than just numbers.
“He’s playing with more confidence and belief. I thought he had a pretty good camp last year.
Maybe the biggest change is how we look at him,” Cignetti said. “He was just a guy and he had an opportunity.
He was a special teams demon for us in ’24, and early in the year when he got in the games, he took advantage of his opportunities. When (Elijah) Sarratt got hurt, the guy was our leading receiver seven of the last eight games.
Had a great summer too.”
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For the Hoosiers, the practical effect is simple: two injured defenders are back in the fold, and the defense suddenly looks deeper because of it. Indiana has been able to bring back Stephen Daley and Kellan Wyatt, a welcome development for a unit that can use every available body as it prepares for the next season. [Read more 🡒]
Charlie Becker Became The Indiana Weapon Fans Never Saw Coming
Charlie Becker spent two years in the kind of role that rarely draws much attention, working as a backup wide receiver and contributing on special teams before his chance on offense finally arrived. When a starting receiver went down, Indiana had to lean on a player who had already built a reputation for being ready to do a little bit of everything, and Becker has since turned that opportunity into a much larger part of the offense.
What has made his rise so notable is how quickly he has gone from depth piece to one of the programs most important playmakers, with his work showing up in major games and earning him preseason All-American recognition. The larger question now is how Indiana keeps folding him into the attack, because the preparation that made him useful in the first place has only made the next step more intriguing. [Read more 🡒]
Former Hoosiers Are Suddenly Facing Big NFL Camp Stakes
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Fernando Mendoza even found himself taking first-team reps for the Raiders, while Riley Nowakowski sits as the only fullback on the Steelers depth chart and Zach Horton was brought back by Detroit after another tight end went down. Elsewhere, injuries have already complicated the picture for Kaelon Black and DAngelo Ponds, reminders of how quickly camp can turn from opportunity to attrition for players trying to hold their place. [Read more 🡒]