Charlie Becker has become a textbook example of taking advantage of an opportunity.
The Indiana wide receiver saw some action early in the season, but not a lot. Through IU’s first seven games this year, Becker had caught only four passes for 70 yards and a touchdown, all recorded during non-conference games. Per Pro Football Focus, he played just 19 snaps against Iowa and 18 snaps against Michigan State.
But everything changed when Elijah Sarratt left the game at Maryland with an injury. The sophomore stepped into the vacated position and played a career-high 59 snaps against the Terps. Becker then started the next two games against Penn State and Wisconsin — and he performed so well, he supplanted E.J. Williams Jr. to remain in the lineup even after Sarratt returned.
“It was a little bit of a blessing in disguise whenever Sarratt missed a game or two there, middle of the year, and Charlie got some more playing time,” Indiana offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach Mike Shanahan told The Daily Hoosier ahead of the Peach Bowl. “We had experienced guys playing in front of him, and he never complained. He just kept his head down, kept working, did well whenever he was in there throughout that point in the year.”
Becker made several huge plays in IU’s dramatic win at Penn State, making seven catches for 118 yards. That’s when FOX Sports announcer Gus Johnson started calling him, “Charlie B. from Nashville, Tennessee!”
“He made some fantastic plays” — Charlie Becker stepped up when IU needed him most
Becker followed that up with another 100-yard game, hauling in five receptions for 108 yards and a touchdown against Wisconsin. He had an instant connection with Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza on the field, as the two are roommates off the field, along with Alberto Mendoza and some others.
“Chuck has been fantastic,” Fernando said after the Wisconsin game. “We’ve seen the work that Chuck’s put through catching balls for us at 7 a.m. on random Sunday summer mornings, on random Sunday spring mornings. His work ethic and what it’s all accumulated to is so special to see. He’s making huge plays on the field, getting a lot of targets, getting a lot of catches, and really contributing to our already elite receiving corps.”
The Nashville, Tenn. native had a quiet game against Purdue — less because of Sarratt returning than IU leaning heavily on its rushing attack in that matchup.
But Becker — 6-foot-4, 209 pounds — has been tremendous during Indiana’s postseason run. He posted six catches for a career-high 126 yards in the Big Ten Championship Game against Ohio State. Mendoza hit Becker in some really clutch moments during that game, including a connection with around 2:40 remaining that put the Hoosiers on the brink of victory.
The sophomore has kept it going during the College Football Playoff. He’s caught touchdowns in both games, with two catches for 51 yards in the Rose Bowl against Alabama and two catches for 48 yards in the Peach Bowl against Oregon.
“His size and speed combination is pretty unique. So whenever you’re throwing a ball 35, 40 yards down the field, it makes it a little bit of an easier target to hit,” Shanahan told TDH. “I feel like that’s really gave us another dimension to our offense that has really helped us.”
IU head coach Curt Cignetti praised Becker during fall camp and clearly saw potential in the sophomore. But he was stuck behind experience and talent in the wide receiver room entering the season in Sarratt, Williams, and Omar Cooper Jr. Makai Jackson, who left the program midseason, and Jonathan Brady both also had the experience and prior production even in reserve roles that Cignetti typically favors.
Becker had the ability and the drive to make things happen if an opportunity presented itself. Shanahan said the biggest thing the sophomore needed to improve on entering this season was beating man-to-man coverage and finding his go-to moves against press coverage. He said Becker spent extra time working on that before and after practices with him and offensive quality control coach Eddie Burk Jr.
But he needed things like a midyear portal entry and an injury to get a chance.
Circumstances played in his favor, and he made sure the Hoosiers would keep him on the field long term.
“Ou coaches have done a great job preparing me for these kind of moments,” Becker said after the Wisconsin game. “It means the world learning from Elijah and E.J. and Omar and all the guys from last year who are in the league now. It just means a lot to be able to come out here and show what I can do.”
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