2026 Indiana Offensive Position Breakdown

Indiana’s championship offense was built on more than a quarterback or a collection of statistics. It played with structure. It protected the football, created answers against pressure and stayed balanced enough to punish defenses for overcommitting.

The names will change in 2026. The expectations will not.

Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza is gone, and several important contributors have moved on. But Mike Shanahan’s offense is not starting over. Indiana returns experience up front, added proven players through the transfer portal and enters fall camp with enough talent to build a different—but still dangerous—offensive identity.

Here is a position-by-position look at the 2026 Indiana football offensive depth chart and the questions that matter most.

Quarterback: Josh Hoover’s offense now

TCU transfer Josh Hoover is the central figure in Indiana’s offensive transition.

Hoover arrives with 35 career appearances and 31 starts. He has produced 16 career 300-yard passing games and has thrown four or more touchdowns eight times. Those numbers establish experience and arm talent, but they do not automatically answer the most important question.

Can he consistently make winning decisions inside Indiana’s system?

Hoover will be asked to learn the timing, protection answers and situational discipline that made the offense efficient under Mendoza. There will be opportunities to push the ball downfield, particularly with the size and speed in the receiver room, but the best version of this offense does not require the quarterback to manufacture a spectacular play on every snap.

The most important Hoover statistic may be turnovers. If he protects the football, gets Indiana into the correct play and performs well on third down and in the red zone, the offense will have a high floor. The explosive plays will follow.

Grant Wilson provides veteran depth, while Tyler Cherry, Jacob Bell and Maverick Geske continue developing behind him. Indiana has options, but this is Hoover’s unit to lead.

Running back: speed, versatility and a true rotation

Boston College transfer Turbo Richard gives Indiana an experienced lead option. Richard started 11 games in 2025, produced three 100-yard rushing performances and proved he can contribute as a receiver.

His acceleration fits an offense that wants to stretch a defense horizontally and then attack the crease. At 5-foot-9 and 204 pounds, he also has enough size to finish runs and remain useful in protection.

The larger question is how Indiana builds the rotation around him. A championship running game needs more than one back. It needs complementary styles, dependable pass protection and enough depth to survive the physical demands of Big Ten play.

The position should be evaluated by more than rushing yards. Watch the backs in protection. Watch who earns third-down snaps. Watch which player can turn a well-blocked six-yard run into an explosive gain without trying to bounce every carry outside.

Indiana’s offensive line should give this room opportunities. The backs must consistently take the yards the scheme creates.

Wide receiver: replacing production with options

This room may be one of the most interesting on the roster.

Nick Marsh arrives from Michigan State after totaling 100 catches, 1,311 yards and nine touchdowns over two seasons. At 6-foot-3 and 213 pounds, Marsh provides a large target who can win at the catch point and create explosive plays.

Charlie Becker gives the offense proven returning production after a 34-catch, 679-yard, four-touchdown championship season. His combination of size and familiarity with the system should make him a reliable target for Hoover.

Tyler Morris adds experience after transferring from Michigan, while Shazz Preston brings another veteran presence. Lebron Bond supplies speed, and younger receivers will compete for rotational roles.

The goal should not be to declare one player the replacement for every departed receiver. Shanahan needs a complete room: an outside threat who can win isolated, a dependable route runner who moves the chains, speed that changes safety leverage and players willing to block in the run game.

Hoover’s job will be to distribute the football based on coverage, not force-feed a preseason depth chart.

Tight end: the position that connects the offense

Tight end can become the connector between Indiana’s run game and passing game.

The position must help control the edge, handle movement assignments and threaten linebackers in play-action. When the tight end can perform all three jobs, the offense can change formations without changing personnel. That limits defensive substitutions and helps Shanahan create favorable matchups.

Brock Schott is one of the young options in the room, and the competition for reliable snaps will be important throughout camp. This may not be the position group that produces the largest raw numbers, but it can determine how multiple the offense becomes.

The best indicator will be trust. Which tight ends are on the field in third-and-short, in the high red zone and when Indiana must protect a lead late?

Offensive line: the five who determine the ceiling

Every offensive discussion eventually reaches the line of scrimmage.

Carter Smith is the foundation. The veteran left tackle enters 2026 with 41 consecutive starts and earned the Big Ten’s offensive lineman of the year award in 2025. His presence gives Indiana an experienced pass protector and tone-setter at the most important spot up front.

Drew Evans and Bray Lynch also return with starting experience. Adedamola Ajani remains part of the competition, while Wisconsin transfer Joe Brunner gives the staff another experienced option and positional flexibility.

Replacing Pat Coogan at center is the critical issue. The center is not simply the player who snaps the ball. He identifies fronts, helps set protections and keeps five offensive linemen operating as one unit.

Indiana has enough bodies. Cignetti has said the Hoosiers could have as many as 17 offensive linemen in camp. The challenge is turning depth into a dependable two-deep and identifying the best five early enough for chemistry to develop.

The staff should resist choosing a lineup based only on the five most talented individuals. The best offensive line is the five-man combination that communicates, passes off movement and plays with consistent pad level and effort.

What this offense must become

Indiana does not need to copy the 2025 offense. Personnel changes should shape the system’s emphasis.

With Hoover’s experience, a deep receiver room and a veteran left tackle, the Hoosiers should be capable of creating explosive plays through the air. With Richard and returning offensive linemen, the run game should remain central to the identity. Balance will protect both.

Three things will determine whether this becomes a championship offense:

Protect the football

Hoover’s aggressiveness can be a strength, but Indiana cannot give opponents short fields or erase productive drives with unnecessary risks.

Establish the offensive line rotation

The first five must become connected, and the next group must develop enough to prevent one injury from changing the entire offense.

Win situational football

Third down, the red zone, backed-up possessions and four-minute offense separate impressive statistics from winning offense.

Indiana has enough skill to score points. The real test is whether the group can become dependable when everyone in the stadium knows the game is in its hands.

That is the standard now.

Not rebuilding. Reloading.

Watch the complete offensive position breakdown

Go deeper with Coach Griff’s position-by-position discussion of the quarterbacks, running backs, receivers, tight ends and offensive line.

Watch and subscribe to Hoosier Football Tailgate on YouTube

Fast. Physical. Relentless.