Written by T.J. Inman
The Countdown to Kickoff is 20-percent of the way finished and we wrap up the 80’s with incoming freshman wide receiver Charlie Becker.
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Height: 6’3”
Weight: 185 pounds
Hometown: Nashville, TN
Class/Position: Freshman/Wide Receiver
The Indiana Hoosiers have one of the Big Ten’s best wide receiver rooms with major transfer portal additions in the form of Elijah Sarratt, Myles Price, Ke’Shawn Williams and Miles Cross plus the return of talented players like Donaven McCulley, E.J. Williams, Andison Coby and others. There are a lot of talented individuals and IU’s offense plans to take full advantage of them under new offensive coordinator Mike Shanahan.
A coaching staff’s focus has to be beyond one season and that is what makes a player like Charlie Becker so potentially important. Look closer at IU’s wide receiver room and you will notice that several players will exhaust their eligibility in 2024: Andison Coby, Myles Price, Ke’Shawn Williams, E.J. Williams and Miles Cross will all be done and it’s very possible that Elijah Sarratt and Donaven McCulley head to the NFL if they have strong seasons. There is a real chance that IU loses six or seven main contributors at the position after this season and getting reinforcements ready for next season and beyond is critical.
That brings the addition of three-star prospect Charlie Becker into focus as a big retention for head coach Curt Cignetti. Becker chose Indiana over offers and serious pursuit from Iowa, Northwestern, Ole Miss and Vanderbilt. He’s 6’3” and attended Father Ryan High School in Nashville so getting him out of that area and away from Vanderbilt was a big get for Tom Allen.
When Allen was removed and Curt Cignetti was brought in, Becker wasted little time in recommitting to the Hoosiers and he has the potential to grow into a very exciting player. He only played in the first five games of the 2023 season for Father Ryan but racked up big numbers: 30 receptions for 565 yards with 12 touchdowns. The tall and lanky receiver ran a 40-yard dash of 4.4 seconds.
Charlie Becker did not enroll early at Indiana and he is expected on campus in June to begin summer workouts. It would be a major shock if Becker did anything other than redshirt the 2024 season. He might get some snaps just to get a bit of seasoning prior to what could be a very important 2025 campaign for Charlie Becker and what might be a retooled IU wide receiver room.
The Hoosier Huddle Countdown to Kickoff continues each and every day so be sure to check back often for the latest profile piece!