Charlie Becker opened the 2026 season by making Josh Hoover look like the same quarterback he had been building with all offseason. Becker caught four passes for 64 yards and two touchdowns in Indiana’s 52-16 win over North Texas, a fast start that put the passing game on the scoreboard early.
Charlie Becker and Josh Hoover
Becker’s first touchdown was a leaping grab in the back of the end zone, with blood streaming down Hoover’s face on the throw. His second came on a 35-yard one-on-one jump ball down the sideline, the kind of throw that tends to show whether timing is real or just practice talk.
Hoover finished 13-for-16 for 231 yards and four touchdowns with no turnovers. Indiana scored 52 points on 46 plays and held the ball for only 22 minutes and 38 seconds, so the production came in a game that never needed volume to turn efficient.
Week 1 in Indiana
Indiana entered the 2026 season with Becker at the top of the receiver depth chart after he had been a depth addition at the start of the 2025 season. He finished that sophomore year with 34 catches for 679 yards and four touchdowns, then moved into a heavier role without the benefit of a long runway in the new year.
Curt Cignetti had said Indiana’s passing game was further along during fall camp than it had been in either of the previous two seasons, and Week 1 backed that up. Becker’s connection with Hoover looked built on repetition rather than surprise, which is usually what separates one productive opening game from a passing game that can actually travel.
Tuesday in the
On Tuesday in 2026, Becker said, “To be honest, I don’t really remember last year,” and added, “We’re just focused on the here and now.” That is a sharp way to treat a breakout: keep the production, discard the nostalgia, and force the next defense to deal with the current version.
He also laid out the work behind it. “As soon as the season ends, you’re getting prepared, talking with the other quarterbacks, and just starting to build that connection,” he said. “All the receivers catch jugs every day. We catch anywhere from 100 to 200 balls. We’re just trying to stay prepared. We’re throwing with Josh outside of practices and keeping that connection strong.”
Becker said, “Josh’s preparation for games has been unbelievable,” and added that he had seen Hoover “24/7” at the facility, breaking down film and pushing the offense to a higher standard. Hoover’s reaction after the game matched the box score: “This dude’s a gamer,” he said, while calling attention to the different look Becker had when the ball was in the air.
The practical read for Indiana is simple. Becker is no longer just a depth piece carrying over from 2025; he is the target Hoover trusted when the game mattered, and the way they split two touchdowns between a back-corner fade and a sideline jump ball suggests the offense already has a clear answer on its outside passing game.
