A Middle Tennessee product now lining up for Indiana is heading into 2026 with more than a title defense on his mind. The Hoosiers are back after the program’s first national championship, and one returning wide receiver is carrying a noble cause to be proud of this season. 

WR Charlie Becker joined The Pat McAfee Show on Wednesday, August 26, and used that platform to talk about his aunt, who he said was diagnosed with ALS five years ago.

“Five years ago, my aunt was diagnosed with ALS, and as a close family, that affected all of us. I wasn’t in a spot where I couldn’t really help, and I really wanted to because there’s not a cure. And now, being at Indiana, I was put in a position where I could maybe help the financial burdens, because it costs a lot of money. I wanna do as much as I can for everybody that is affected by ALS.”

To help people diagnosed with ALS, Becker created a foundation called Huddle for Hope. For the upcoming season, he told McAfee that he will pledge $1,000 to Huddle for Hope for every touchdown he scores.

Becker used the national stage after Indiana’s first football title to turn a family fight into a season-long fundraising plan. To his surprise, Pat McAfee immediately said, “We will match that.”

The Pat McAfee Show is matching the pledge dollar for dollar. Moreover, McAfee also urged celebrities like Mark Cuban, ESPN’s Joe Buck, and 2026 No. 1 NFL Draft Pick Fernando Mendoza to join them on this benevolent journey.

Bloomington restaurant BuffaLouie’s, an official IU Athletics Partner, is the first visible commercial partner for Huddle for Hope. They have launched a Becker Double Decker burger, the sales of which will go to Huddle for Hope. BuffaLouie’s had tied up with the Mendoza brothers last year to support another charitable cause to help people with MS.

Charlie Becker is also a 2026 AFCA Good Works Team nominee, which is a community-service recognition. One can only hope that he gets as many touchdowns as he can to support Huddle for Hope, especially as the upcoming season only looks more promising for the Hoosiers.

Curt Cignetti’s Training Camp Verdict Points to Charlie Becker’s Rise in 2026

In 2025, Charlie Becker played 16 games and started eight. He caught 34 passes for 679 yards and four touchdowns. His 20.0 yards per catch led the Big Ten. Those four scores are the starting point for the math. 

After Elijah Sarratt’s hamstring injury, Becker was Indiana’s leading receiver in seven of the last eight games. He had three 100-yard games. 7-118 against Penn State, 5-108-1 against Wisconsin, and 6-126 against Ohio State in the Big Ten title game.

On day one of camp in early August, Indiana head coach Cignetti sang high praise for Becker and his run of form.

“Yeah, he’s playing with more confidence and belief,” said Cignetti (via SB Nation). “I thought he had a pretty good camp last year. Maybe the biggest change is how we look at him. He was just a guy, and he had an opportunity. He was a special teams demon for us in ‘24, and early in the year when he got in the games, he took advantage of his opportunities. When Sarratt got hurt, the guy was our leading receiver seven of the last eight games. Had a great summer too.”

In the playoff, Becker scored on a 21-yard catch against Alabama in the Rose Bowl and a 36-yard catch against Oregon in the Peach Bowl.

In the championship game against Miami, he had 4-65, including two 19-yard conversions on 4th-and-5 and 3rd-and-7 that kept scoring alive in the 27–21 win.

Cignetti later grouped Becker and Michigan State transfer Nick Marsh as “two long guys that have a good track record.” More snaps and more trust can mean more chances in the end zone.

Josh Hoover could change those chances too. Hoover first committed to Indiana in 2021 under Tom Allen. He flipped to TCU, then transferred back on January 4, 2026. He replaces Fernando Mendoza, the Heisman winner and 2026 No. 1 overall pick. 

In April, Cignetti said Hoover is “settling in nicely” and that he now has “two new best friends: great defense and a really good run game.” If he gels well with Becker, the Hoosiers would have a deadly combination that the rivals wouldn’t want to face.