It's clear that individual awards are not top of mind for the Indiana football program under Curt Cignetti. Cignetti preaches an ultimate team-first mentality, and that selfless approach has fueled tremendous success over the past two seasons. With that being said, individual players have earned plenty of recognition amid Indiana's rise under Cignetti's leadership. Most notably, Fernando Mendoza took home the Heisman Trophy last season.
Indiana is off to a 2-0 start with a pair of emphatic wins, and several Hoosiers are already garnering Heisman hype. Charlie Becker has been Indiana's best player so far, but he is currently nowhere near the top of the Heisman Trophy odds boards. That needs to change.
It's time to put Charlie Becker into the Heisman conversation
As it stands, Becker currently has odds of +16000 to win the Heisman Trophy on DraftKings Sportsbook. That is way down on the list. Specifically, Becker sits 45th on the Heisman odds board. After what he's done through two games, he deserves to move up.
In Week 1, Becker had 4 catches for 64 yards and a pair of touchdowns against North Texas. In Week 2, he had just 3 catches, but they all went for touchdowns in the first quarter and a half against Howard. That means he has 145 receiving yards through 2 games, with 5 of those catches resulting in touchdowns.
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Those numbers alone warrant more Heisman attention, but what makes Becker’s performance even more impressive is the impact he has made despite limited playing time.
After racking up 3 touchdowns in just over 20 minutes of game time against Howard, Becker saw limited playing time the rest of the way. The Hoosiers were cruising, and with such a big lead, there was no reason to keep Becker and the first-team offense out for much longer. The same thing happened in Week 1 against North Texas. Imagine how much better Becker's stats would be if he played just one more quarter or even just another series.
Charlie Becker can increase his Heisman odds in Big Ten play
With all of that being said, putting up big numbers against North Texas and Howard isn't going to woo the Heisman voters. They want to see big-game production and signature moments. Look no further than Mendoza's Heisman campaign last season.
After such an impressive start to the season, Becker has laid the foundation for a special season. The Nashville native burst onto the scene last season, and was arguably the best WR in the country during the second half of the year. He played a leading role in Indiana's National Championship run, and now deserves to be in the conversation for the best WR in the country alongside the likes of Jeremiah Smith, Malachi Toney, and Cam Coleman.
Once Big Ten play roles around, Becker is more than capable of continuing to put up big numbers. He clearly has a great connection with Josh Hoover, and if he stays along his current trajectory, seeing more snaps in conference play should lead to more Heisman hype.
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