A lot has been made about Curt Cignetti's great ability to utilize the transfer portal effectively. Cignetti's portal success gets plenty of well-deserved attention, as Indiana doesn't accomplish what it has accomplished over the last two seasons without his outstanding use of that area of roster construction.
But heading into the 2026 season, the argument can be made that Indiana's best three players are all returners. ESPN has released its list of the Top-100 players in college football entering the new season. Three Hoosiers cracked the Top-25, and all are returning players from last year's National Championship-winning team.
This trio of Hoosiers helped IU take the college football world by storm last season, and now they are poised to make even more noise in 2026.
OT Carter Smith
Offensive tackle Carter Smith comes in as the top-ranked offensive lineman and No. 10 overall player in the country in ESPN's rankings. Smith is entering his redshirt senior season, and has emerged as a bonafide star on the IU offensive line. Owning a 6'5" 308-pound frame, Smith has made 41 consecutive starts at left tackle for the Hoosiers dating back to the 2023 season. In that time, he's allowed just 4 sacks over the course of 2,516 snaps.
3 bold Josh Hoover predictions that could define Indiana's 2026 season
Smith was the first Indiana player to win Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year honors, and is looking to put forth another impressive campaign in 2026. After he played a vital role in keeping Fernando Mendoza upright during his Heisman season, nobody is happier that Smith is back in Bloomington than new Indiana QB Josh Hoover.
WR Charlie Becker
Charlie Becker is ranked as the No. 17 player in college football according to ESPN's preseason rankings. Becker had a quiet to the start to the season but then burst onto the scene in the second half. The Nashville native didn't make his first start of last season until October 25 against UCLA. But after that he was one of the best playmakers in the country. He ended the campaign with 34 catches for 679 yards and 4 touchdowns, with the vast majority of that production coming in November, December, and January.
Becker played a vital role in Indiana's CFP run to a national title. He racked up 290 receiving yards and two touchdowns in the postseason, and delivered several big-time catches and memorable moments. Heading into 2026, Becker is slated to take on a leading role from the jump. Elijah Sarratt and Omar Cooper Jr. are both off to the NFL, paving the way for Becker to be Indiana's WR1.
DL Tyrique Tucker
The top-ranked defensive player for Indiana is Tyrique Tucker, who is heralded as the No. 21 overall player in the country by ESPN's rankings. While most of the James Madison transfers that followed Cignetti to Indiana are gone, Tucker is back for one more season. Tucker collected 6.0 sacks last season, which was tied for third nationally among primary defensive tackles.
Furthermore, his 8 pass-rush sacks created was tops among defensive tackles. Tucker has 42 games of experience under his belt, and is poised to be among the best defensive tackles in the country once again this season.
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