Junior wide receiver for Indiana. 2026: 3 games with a box-score line.
6′4″ · 207 lb · Nashville, TN · Father Ryan
CFB Index
A single number blending on-field production (an EPA-based value lane) with box-score output for this player's position.
0-100, scaled within each position's own cohort — not directly comparable across positions.
On production he ranks #124 of 485 WRs; on reputation he is on a national watch list. The gap between those two numbers is the story.
The numbers
receiving yards · 2026 · through week 3
3 games into 2026 so far -- Best game: 3 rec, 81 yds, 3 TD, vs Howard
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
Junior wide receiver for Indiana. 2026: 3 games with a box-score line.
Buzz vs Tape
His own fans read him warmer than the wider college football conversation does — a gap of 35.3 points in belief.
“Who needs defense when you have JOSH HOOVER and CHARLIE BECKER!”
Fan claims · every quote verified verbatim
There isn’t a better contested catch receiver in the country than Charlie Becker
Based on 1 comment from 1 poster across 1 thread · Sep 12, 2026 · via CFB
Charlie Becker
Beats you over the top. He has spent three seasons in the Indiana receiving corps. 2026 brought the first one: Preseason All-America (Associated Press). The receipt on tape: 127 rec yds, 5 receptions against Western Kentucky, Week 3, 2026.
272 REC YDS · 12 REC · 6 REC TD
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
His career
Nobody recruited him. He earned the honors anyway.
Career arc
Trophy case · Confirmed honors
What the selectors said
ALL-AMERICA
All-America honors (2026)
1 mentions across the selector pool
Badges
Coaching lineage · 2024–2026
1 coachPlayed his entire career under Curt Cignetti.
Game by game
Point color shows the opponent's defensive strength that week (red = weaker defense, blue = stronger) — dashed line is this player's own season average.
Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 3 games
| Wk | Opp | REC | YDS | AVG | TD | LONG | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 52-16vs North Texas | 4 | 64 | 16.0 | 2 | 35 | 2 TD catches |
| Wk 2 | W 55-0vs Howard | 3 | 81 | 27.0 | 3 | 41 | 3 TD catches |
| Wk 3 | W 38-0vs Western Kentucky | 5 | 127 | 25.4 | 1 | 79 | Season-high 127 yds |
| Total | 12 | 272 | 22.8 | 6 | 79 |
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 2 · 2026
W 55–0
vs Howard
3 rec · 81 yds · 3 TD
Dominant 55-point win at home against Howard.
With J. Hoover — 145 yds · 4 TD · 0 INT · QBR 75.5 · 18 rush yds (6 car) · T. Richard — 108 rush yds (11 car) · 1 TD
Signature plays · top plays by |EPA|
The plays that mattered most
Since week 2: +127 receiving yards, +5 catches, +1 receiving TD.
Season context · Team result + system
3 seasons under Curt Cignetti — 30-2 over that span.
Where this profile ranks vs the WR cohort
Box-score percentiles
Elite: long catch (100th percentile). Strength: rec tds (99th percentile). Concern: receptions (9th percentile).
Percentiles versus same-position peers with enough snaps this season, based on box-score rates.
Receiver profile · Targets, catch rate, and throw depth
How often he's targeted, and how well it works
Targets
1526% of team targetsCatch rate
80%12 of 15 targetsBehind LOS · Negative air yds
Short · 0–9 air yds
Middle · 10–19 air yds
Deep · 20+ air yds
80% catch rate on 15 targets · 26% of the team's targets.
Splits · Per-game
2026 season · 3 games
Home vs Road
| REC/g | YDS/g | YPR | TD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home3g | 4.0 | 90.7 | 22.8 | 2.0 |
First half vs Second half
| REC/g | YDS/g | YPR | TD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weeks 1-73g | 4.0 | 90.7 | 22.8 | 2.0 |
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Curt Cignetti
Pass share
32.8%
57 pass / 117 run
Plays / game
58.0
3 games
Team sack rate
8.1%
62 dropbacks · PBP
Scheme: Run-heavy, slow tempo.
Player standing · 2026
In the All-America conversation, short of a selector's first team.
Recognition
2026 outlook
Outside shot for All-Big Ten
Based on 2025: #15 of 61 Big Ten WRs
22% estimated, 95% confidence interval 19–25%. Base rate measured from players who finished at a comparable rank in their conference and came back the next season. It is an estimate from a small sample, not a forecast of this player.
Selector Grid · 2026
Play style
Stretches the field vertically. Every snap is a potential big play.
CFB Index positional classification
Player DNA
Stretches the field vertically. Every snap is a potential big play.
His 2026 production profile sits closest to Chris Lewis’s 2023 season.
Differs from Chris on
Through 2 college seasons, his career arc tracks closest to Mark Bails’s path through Southern Utah.
Mark Bails
Matches Mark on
As a junior, his production profile tracks closest to Jaylen Hall's junior season at Western Michigan (2020).
Differs from Jaylen on
Heisman Trajectory · 2026
Peaked at #98 this season.
Career Notes & Records Appeared in 28 career games with eight starts ... First-career start came in 2025 versus UCLA (10/25) ... Saw time mostly on special teams as a true freshman in 2024 with 123 special teams snaps (46 kickoff return, 21 kickoff coverage, 53 punt return) ... Made collegiate…
9 more on the roster · Indiana team page