As the roommate of a Heisman Trophy winner and this week’s almost certain No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, IU receiver Charlie Becker got an up close and personal masterclass in handling college football like a professional.
The 6-foot-4 and 207-pound Becker didn’t catch a pass as a true freshman in 2024, but the Nashville, Tenn. product was tagged as an up-and-comer by head coach Curt Cignetti during the offseason ahead of his sophomore campaign. A hamstring injury suffered during fall camp put Becker’s emergence on the back burner, at least for a while.
With seven catches in his first nine games, it appeared the rise of Becker would have to wait until he was an upperclassman.
But an injury suffered by starting wideout Elijah Sarratt created an opportunity, and Becker exploded through that opening, rewriting the story of Indiana’s season in the process.
Becker says the chance to see Mendoza’s approach to preparation helped him be ready when Indiana traveled to Penn State. It was on that November afternoon he became a nationally known player with seven catches for 118 yards, including some critical snags that helped make IU’s 16-0 national championship season possible.
“He was another guy who took advantage of his opportunity,” Cignetti said. “Then, we couldn’t take him off the field.”
Cignetti also said during the 2025 season he had never been around a player anywhere who he’d seen prepare like Mendoza, and it eventually became clear his roommate was taking notes.
The lessons learned from soon-to-be Las Vegas Raider Mendoza will be part of what Becker plans to carry into 2026.
“Fernando is the hardest worker I’ve ever encountered,” Becker said earlier this month. “The preparation he puts in before all the games; the amount of film he watches; just how much he loves the game in general. I really think I can take his love of the game and the way he prepares.”
Now with just one player remaining from Cignetti’s last James Madison team, and several key leaders expected to be drafted this week, Indiana needs new torchbearers to carry the culture forward after the Hoosiers went 27-2 over the past two years.
And after building on his success at Penn State with massive plays in the Big Ten title game vs. Ohio State and throughout the College Football Playoff, Becker is expected to be a leader on and off the field for IU.
He’ll take more lessons from Mendoza to help ensure his newfound off the field fame doesn’t distract from the larger mission.
Becker went from relative unknown to a near cult like figure as he stacked big catch after big catch late in the season. FOX announcer Gus Johnson amplified the noise with breathless calls after mesmerizing grabs by “Charlie B. from Nashville, Tennessee.”
There was no one better to learn from than Mendoza as Becker’s notoriety surged. Because as good as Mendoza is on the field, he’s equally impressive outside the white lines. That’s another example coming in handy for a now famous Becker.
“Before Fernando got here, me and Alberto (Mendoza) would go out wherever and we wouldn’t get noticed,” Becker said.
“Being roommates with Fernando and going out to dinner with Fernando and going to church with Fernando and seeing how people swarmed him, it was nuts. I felt bad for him at times, but he dealt with it unbelievably. He was so nice and genuine with everybody. That’s another thing that I learned from Fernando — how good of a person he is to everyone.”
For complete coverage of IU football, GO HERE.
The Daily Hoosier –“Where Indiana fans assemble when they’re not at Assembly”
- You can follow us on X: @daily_hoosier and find us on Facebook and Instagram
- Seven ways to support completely free IU coverage at no cost to you.
