When he drops back to pass this fall, new Indiana quarterback Josh Hoover will have several enticing options.
Headlining Hoover’s field of vision will be Charlie Becker and Nick Marsh, who ESPN ranked No. 4 and No. 5 respectively, in their preseason 2026 wide receiver national top-10.
This wasn’t just a staff writer’s opinion piece. ESPN’s Eli Lederman and Max Olson surveyed more than 20 front office staffers across college football — including general managers, player personnel directors and scouting directors — to find out whom they consider the top returning players in the sport.
The standout IU pair were ranked behind Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith at No. 1, Miami’s Malachi Toney at No. 2, and Texas’ Cam Coleman at No. 3.
Becker’s emergence was rapid last season. He made his first career start against UCLA in game eight, and he posted 27 catches for 522 yards and three scores over the last seven games.
Here’s what two Big Ten staffers told ESPN about Becker:
“I think he’s sneaky good and will go in the top 20 picks next year,” a Big Ten staffer said. “He’s straight-up fast. He’s not just a receiver who’s big and can catch jump balls. He can run and he can run routes. When you have that length and size and can adjust your body that well, it’s a cheat code.”
“He’s clutch,” another Big Ten staffer said. “It’ll be interesting to see how he does with a little more focus from the defenses on him this year.”
Opponents might want to shade their defense towards Becker, but Marsh presents a true pick-your-poison scenario.
Like Becker, Marsh has both speed and height to threaten opposing secondaries. And he adds a physicality component to his game that should only become more prevalent now that he’s an upperclassman. In his first two years, both as a teenager, Marsh amassed 100 catches for 1,311 yards and nine touchdowns at Michigan State.
Here’s what was said about Marsh:
“I think he’s top-10 worthy,” one Group of 5 GM said of Marsh.
“His ability after the catch from a physical standpoint is really impressive,” a Big Ten GM said. “He just plays so dang hard. He’s tough to bring down and can make things happen, and he’s got great hands.”
With two in the top-5, a coherent argument can be made the Hoosiers have the best wide receiver room in the nation.
That contention is bolstered by the presence of two more accomplished receivers in Tulane transfer Shazz Preston and the return of Tyler Morris from injury. Preston led Tulane with 723 yards and four touchdowns a season ago, while Morris is proven at the Power 4 level. He recorded 248 receiving yards on 23 catches with two touchdowns as a junior with Michigan in 2024.
Indiana also really likes sophomore receivers Davion Chandler and Lebron Bond.
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