BLOOMINGTON — Indiana football’s offense is loaded going into 2026.
This is far from breaking news, but after fall camp began this past week, IU wide receiver Charlie Becker made sure everybody knows how strong the group looks.
Becker met with the media on Thursday after IU’s second practice of fall camp, and he took a question about Michigan State transfer receiver Nick Marsh as an opportunity to praise the entire offense.
“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.”
The Hoosiers boasted a dynamic offense in 2025 behind Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Fernando Mendoza. Offensive coordinator Mike Shanahan’s unit finished 17th in the nation in total offense, at 452 yards per game. Indiana was one of the best rushing teams in the nation, ranking 12th with 212.9 rushing yards per game.
It’s an almost impossibly high bar to set for this season’s offense to replicate what last year’s team did. But the high amount of talent at head coach Curt Cignetti’s disposal gives the group a chance to similarly succeed, even if it doesn’t, say, finish third in the nation in scoring offense (41.6 points per game) like the 2025 offense did.
“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.”
Martin, Richard, and Beebe give Indiana a diverse trio of running backs with different skill sets that can all unlock things for the offense. Bob Bostad’s offensive line was one of the best in the country last year, and with three starters back and a strong transfer portal addition in Joe Brunner, should be a strength again this season.
But IU’s receiver room has the most talent of all those position groups, and it’s those players who could define just how good the Hoosiers’ offense can be in 2026.
They have depth at wide receiver, with Lebron Bond and Davion Chandler showing some flashes as freshmen last year. Tulane transfer Shazz Preston brings a lot of prior production to Bloomington, with 43 receptions for 723 yards and four touchdowns last season. Slot receiver Tyler Morris, now healthy after missing last year with a knee injury, is a good weapon in the middle of the field.
But it starts and ends with Marsh and Becker. Marsh led Michigan State in receiving for two straight seasons, despite playing in subpar offenses. Last season, he put up 662 yards on 59 receptions with six touchdowns. There’s potential for his numbers to soar much higher in a better overall offense.
“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, himself, is just as big a piece for IU as Marsh, if not even bigger. The Nashville, Tennessee native emerged in a massive way for the Hoosiers midseason last year, evolving from a second-teamer to an essential part of the operation. Becker finished the season with 34 receptions for 679 yards and four touchdowns, and he made a lot of big plays in big games. He caught a deep ball from Mendoza in the Big Ten Championship Game that put IU on the doorstep of victory, and he caught touchdown passes in the Rose Bowl and the Peach Bowl.
“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 on Wednesday. “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.”
For complete coverage of IU football, GO HERE.
The Daily Hoosier –“Where Indiana fans assemble when they’re not at Assembly”
- Find us on Instagram, X, and Facebook
- Seven ways to support completely free IU coverage at no cost to you.
