Indiana totals three players among PFF's top-10 returners at each offensive position

With spring practices just over a week away, Indiana football projects as one of the most talented teams in college football — especially among those who returned from the 2025-26 national championship season.

Pro Football Focus ranked the top 10 returning players at each offensive position, with three Hoosiers included at three different positions. Offensive tackle Carter Smith, offensive guard Drew Evans and wide receiver Charlie Becker were all featured on the lists compiled by PFF’s Max Chadwick, as they look to be some of the best players at their positions in 2026.

Note that “returning player” doesn’t have to mean that the player is returning to the same program. Some transfers were included on the list, with “returning” simply meaning that they’re playing another season of college football.

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Smith was ranked as the best returning offensive tackle following his decision to return to Bloomington for his redshirt senior season, as he’ll wrap up his five-year college career with every season played at IU.

He graded at 88.8 during the 2025 season, ranking as the third-best offensive tackle in the country. Smith was rated as the “most valuable tackle” in the nation by one metric, that being PFF’s wins above average — similar to WAR in baseball.

“Smith is entering his fourth year as Indiana’s starting left tackle and is the only returning tackle in the FBS who posted top-10 grades as both a pass blocker and run blocker in 2025. He has great play strength with a competitive mentality and should be transfer quarterback Josh Hoover’s best friend this upcoming season,” Chadwick wrote on Indiana’s left tackle.

Smith allowed exactly zero sacks, according to PFF, playing a total of 759 snaps at left tackle. He allowed five pressures, good for ninth in the country, while totaling five penalties over the course of the 2025 season.

With serious first-round pick potential in the 2027 NFL Draft, Smith is expected to be one of — if not the best — offensive tackles in Indiana’s title defense season and ranked No. 1 at the position by PFF.

Also on the offensive line, guard Drew Evans was ranked No. 9 among returning offensive guards by PFF. Entering his redshirt freshman season, Evans is expected to be another major contributor on Indiana’s line in 2026.

Like Smith, he allowed zero sacks in 2025, per PFF, while allowing just nine pressures all season. All 796 of his offensive snaps were played at left guard, while he missed the final four games of the regular season with an ankle injury.

Nonetheless, Evans was incredibly key in Indiana’s run through the postseason and a major returner to anchor the left side of the offensive line along with Smith. It’s no surprise that both are projected to be some of the best linemen in the country, and PFF certainly agrees.

“He has performed admirably in pass protection during that stretch, tallying an 81.5 PFF pass-blocking grade since 2024 with zero sacks allowed on 656 career pass-blocking snaps,” Chadwick explained. “He and left tackle Carter Smith should keep quarterback Josh Hoover’s blindside spotless this season.”

Impact returners don’t stop there, as Becker is the third Hoosier ranked inside the top 10 at his given position — slotting in at No. 8 among the returning wide receivers ahead of the 2026 season.

Becker came alive during the end of Indiana’s national championship season and made a huge impact in each of Indiana’s postseason games. He totaled 34 receptions for 679 yards and four touchdowns throughout the 2025-26 campaign, with the vast majority of those coming after Week 10.

“The sophomore’s 90.0 PFF grade from Week 11 on was the highest in the country by 2.5 points, while his 522 receiving yards in that stretch were third. Becker’s 3.41 yards per route run on the season were second to only Jeremiah Smith in the Power Four, while his 89.1 PFF grade was third in the nation to Makai Lemon and Smith,” Chadwick wrote. “With Elijah Sarratt and Omar Cooper Jr. off to the NFL, expect Becker to become much more of a focal point in the Hoosiers’ offense as a junior.”

Entering his junior season at IU, Becker could certainly make another big jump with Hoover under center. He and Nick Marsh are expected to play out wide and form one of the best receiving duos in the Big Ten, giving the Hoosiers another season with a plethora of weapons to spread the ball to.

Notably, Marsh and Hoover were excluded from the top 10 lists, but three players listed among the offensive positions give Indiana one of the most talented teams in the country in its hope to win back-to-back national championships under head coach Curt Cignetti.

The skill is certainly there, while the preparations begin next week with spring practice kicking off Indiana’s 2026 title defense.

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