2026 Indiana Football Position Preview: Wide Receiver

Elijah Sarratt and Omar Cooper Jr. are both now in the NFL but Indiana offensive coordinator and receivers coach Mike Shanahan is expected to have another top wideout group to work with in 2026.

Can Indiana's New Targets Keep the Passing Game Rolling?

Indiana’s offense was humming along last season but midway through the campaign, star receiver Elijah Sarratt was injured in November and left a hole on the outside of the attack. Curt Cignetti and the Hoosiers turned to Charlie Becker, IU’s offense found a new level and a star was born.

Becker had 118 yards against Penn State, 108 against Wisconsin, 126 in the Big Ten Championship Game against Ohio State, scored a touchdown against both Alabama and Oregon and had 65 yards against Miami as Indiana won the National Championship.

Becker finished with 679 yards while averaging 19.97 yards per reception. He returns this season as the best deep threat in college football, and Becker is now listed as a projected first round pick in the 2027 NFL Draft.

He’s joined on the outside by Michigan State transfer Nick Marsh. Marsh is probably the most physically talented receiver to arrive in Bloomington in recent history.

He was stuck on a sinking ship in East Lansing last season, but his physicality, size and athleticism make him a perfect fit for the back shoulder throws that Mike Shanahan’s offensive system loves to utilize.

Marsh and Becker are among the top receiver duos in college football, and they should be a nightmare for every opposing secondary Indiana squares off against.

Who Steps Up in the Slot?

Omar Cooper Jr. was capable of excelling on the outside but once Becker emerged, Cooper was able to mostly line up in the slot. Now a New York Jet, Cooper’s departure leaves a lot of targets on the table and Michigan transfer Tyler Morris appears ready to make the most of them.

Morris was injured last season after arriving in Bloomington ahead of the 2025 campaign, but he looked healthy and explosive in the spring, and he has the tools to be a menace in Indiana’s offense. Morris has elite quickness, and if he can stay healthy, he’ll be a weapon in the slot and as a returner on special teams.

Quality Depth Ready to Contribute

Even if everyone stays healthy, IU is probably going to consistently play five or six receivers.

The top three seem pretty ironclad and could be written in pen and the next three are actually fairly clear as well. Shazz Preston is the known commodity of the group.

Preston is a transfer from Tulane that originally played for the Alabama Crimson Tide. He’s a 6’0” target that excels as a big-play threat (16.8 yards per catch on 43 receptions in 2025) and he’s likely going to see the field in both the slot and on the outside.

The other two players that should see plenty of playing time are redshirt freshmen with boatloads of potential: Davion Chandler and Lebron Bond. Chandler is from the same high school as Omar Cooper Jr. (and five-star recruit Monshun Sales) and Bond is a player Cignetti’s staff was after dating back to when they were at James Madison. Both are shifty and quick, and both were given praise for how they played in the spring.

Myles Kendrick, Kortez Rupert and Lavar Keys round out the depth chart and each of them are well-regarded but likely won’t be relied upon much in 2026, unless the injury bug bites in Bloomington.

Elijah Sarratt and Omar Cooper Jr. were both drafted into the NFL, and it will be difficult for this year’s wide receiver group to match what last season’s group accomplished, but the talent and depth is undeniable and there’s a real chance the 2026 IU receivers can be as good as any receiver group in the country.

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