When Indiana won the National Championship for the 2025 season, many were shocked, wondering what world we just stepped into, but in reality, it was the master recruiting of head coach Curt Cignetti. In just his second season, Cignetti took the Hoosiers from one of the losingest programs in college football to National Champions.
Now, as the football season creeps closer and closer, there is a wonder of what the encore will be for the Hoosiers, and it all starts with quarterback Josh Hoover. Losing Fernando Mendoza to the NFL is tough, but Indiana needed another top-tier quarterback to come in until Cignetti can get his high school recruits up and running in the program.
Cignetti made quick work of getting Mendoza's replacement, and it just so happened to be former TCU quarterback Josh Hoover, one of the top names in the portal. Since Hoover joined Indiana, he has been making quick work of connecting with his receivers, putting in a lot of work throwing with them, especially National Championship hero Charlie Becker.
"Josh is also one of the hardest workers that I have met, and he throws so much, I don't know how he does it; my arm would fall off," Becker said during media availability. "He texts me probably every day asking if we want to throw, just to be able to build that connection."
Indiana football WR Charlie Becker on Josh Hoover: "He texts me probably every day asking if we want to throw, just to be able to build that connection." pic.twitter.com/KtITJNeRWD
— Michael Niziolek (@michaelniziolek) April 9, 2026
Josh Hoover and Charlie Becker can be the enxt great QB-WR duo in college football
Going into the 2026 season, CIgnetti also bolstered the Indiana wide receiver core as well, adding the top passcatcher in the portal, Michigan State's Nick Marsh. While Marsh is certainly going to make a difference for Indiana, Hoover and Becker creating a strong connection could be a game-changer.
Becker came on later in the season for Indiana in 2025, but he also made some of the biggest plays for the Hoosiers in the National Championship game against Miami. Becker's clutch catches to secure first downs for Indiana helped the Hoosiers win it all, and now he can do it again with Hoover.
Becker also said that he and Hoover have been throwing and catching so much that they can create the type of connection he had with Mendoza. It seems Hoover is ready for success at Indiana, and he is building it one relationship at a time.