Indiana is sending three players into Big Ten Football Media Days with preseason recognition in hand.
The conference announced its 2026 football preseason honors list on Tuesday in Chicago, and junior wide receiver Charlie Becker, junior linebacker Rolijah Hardy and redshirt-senior defensive lineman Tyrique Tucker all made the 12-player group. Indiana had the most honorees of any Big Ten team, with three selections.
The rest of the league’s list was spread out behind the Hoosiers. Ohio State, Oregon and Rutgers each landed two players, while Iowa, Minnesota and Southern California had one apiece. The preseason honors were voted on by a media panel, according to a Big Ten press release.
Becker’s name fits the list after the way he finished last season. The 6-foot-4, 207-pound receiver caught fire in the second half of the 2025-26 campaign, his sophomore year, and ended with three 100-yard receiving games. His first came in Indiana’s 27-24 win at Penn State on Nov. 8, when he hauled in seven catches for 118 yards.
He also found the end zone in two of the Hoosiers’ biggest wins, scoring touchdowns in a 38-3 victory over the University of Alabama in the Rose Bowl and a 56-22 win over the University of Oregon in the Peach Bowl.
Hardy put together his own breakout season as a sophomore and emerged as a centerpiece of the defense. He finished with a team-high 103 total tackles, including 48 solo stops, and that production earned him second-team All-Big Ten honors from the conference media and coaches’ panels.
Tucker gives Indiana another proven presence up front. The 6-foot, 307-pound defensive lineman posted six sacks last season, which ranked third on the team, along with 12 tackles for loss. The James Madison University transfer also recorded 17 solo tackles and 38 total.
Indiana’s revamped roster opens the regular season against the University of North Texas on Sept. 5 at Memorial Stadium in Bloomington.
WR Charlie Becker, Indiana
LB Rolijah Hardy, Indiana
DL Tyrique Tucker, Indiana
OL Kade Pieper, Iowa
DL Anthony Smith, Minnesota*
QB Julian Sayin, Ohio State*
WR Jeremiah Smith, Ohio State*
QB Dante Moore, Oregon
DB Koi Perich, Oregon
QB Jayden Maiava, USC*
WR KJ Duff, Rutgers*
RB Antwan Raymond, Rutgers*
In Other News...
Big Ten Commissioner Just Said What Indiana Fans Already Knew
Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti spent part of his latest remarks doing something Indiana fans have wanted from the wider college football world for a while now: acknowledging that last seasons run was real, not a fluke. Petitti said he was not surprised by the Hoosiers success, pointed to the way Curt Cignetti changed the program, and noted how much more energy and belief has followed around Bloomington since the turnaround took hold.
For a fan base that has lived through plenty of skepticism, hearing the league office frame Indianas rise as deserved carries some weight. Petitti also pointed to the kind of signature moments that made the season impossible to ignore, from the win over Ohio State in the league title game to the kind of plays that turned a good story into a national one, leaving little doubt that the Hoosiers have changed the conversation. [Read more 🡒]
DeVries Leaves One Crucial IU Roster Decision Hanging
As Indiana wraps up its trip to Peru, the roster picture still has one small but meaningful wrinkle. Darian DeVries confirmed the Hoosiers have one open scholarship spot, leaving them with 12 of the allowed 13 as the staff heads into its next evaluation period and decides whether the group needs one more piece before the season moves on.
The final move is still being weighed, and the options are not limited to one lane. Indiana has also left the door open to another international addition, a reminder that DeVries is still shaping this roster with some flexibility after the trip, even if the last decision is the one that could define how complete the team feels when it leaves Peru behind. [Read more 🡒]
Indiana Came Back From Peru With Real Reasons For Optimism
Indianas trip to Peru gave the program something more useful than a trophy case souvenir. Representing Team USA at the FISU America Games, the Hoosiers went 4-0 and closed the event with a gold medal, but the bigger takeaway was the way several players handled expanded roles against international competition. For a team looking ahead to the 2026-27 season, that kind of live evaluation matters, especially when it comes from players who can help shape the next core.
Bryce Lindsay showed more than just his shooting touch, adding playmaking and slashing to his profile as he averaged 4.5 assists per game. Aiden Sherrell also flashed a broader offensive package, mixing in three-point shooting, downhill drives and midrange pull-ups, while Trent Sisley looked every bit the efficient connector Indiana needs with his work as a cutter, rebounder and rim-runner. The tournament did not answer every question, but it gave Indiana a clearer sense of which pieces can travel well once the competition gets a lot tougher. [Read more 🡒]