Indiana football position preview: Why Elijah Sarratt is one of Big Ten's best pass catchers
The Hoosiers were once again active participants in the transfer portal, but they also retained many of the key faces behind last year's success. We're taking a position-by-position look at the roster this week, starting with the wide receiver room.
Indiana brings back its two most productive receivers while looking to add some fresh faces to fill out its two-deep. This staff has a history of identifying talent at the position — will they strike gold again in 2025?
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Meet Indiana football's wide receivers
Returning players: Elijah Sarratt (Sr.); Omar Cooper Jr. (R-Jr.); Charlie Becker (So.); E.J. Williams (R-Sr.)
Transfers: Tyler Morris (Sr.)*; Makai Jackson (Sr.); Jonathan Brady (Sr.)
Early enrollees: Lebron Bond; Myles Kendrick
Fall enrollees: Davion Chandler
More: 'We are really playing for postseason opportunities': Indiana football's recent scheduling moves explained
Why isn't Elijah Sarratt getting more national attention?
Indiana football wide receiver Elijah Sarratt ranked No. 1 among FBS true juniors in receiving touchdowns (29), No. 2 in receiving yards (2,847) and No. 3 in receptions.
Here are some other notable numbers — he has one reception in each of the games he's played in college (37) and 11 career 100-yard games.
The competition he's faced has gone up each year, but he's improved his game at a faster pace. He went from earning FCS Freshman All-American honors at St. Francis (Pa.) to garner All-Conference honors the Sun Belt and Big Ten.
Much of the attention Sarratt got during IU's run to the College Football Playoff came when he revealed his teammates had nicknamed him 'Waffle House.' It's an apt moniker, but there should be more focus on his impressive career trajectory and production.
He's one of the most important players on IU's roster going into 2025.
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Indiana looking to homegrown talent to provide depth in the slot
Indiana's coaching staff loaded up at slot receiver ahead of the 2024 season, and the move paid off with Myles Price, Miles Cross and Ke'Shawn Williams combining for 104 receptions, 1,1238 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns. They were almost completely interchangeable — Williams seems to be the biggest red zone threat — with each of them developing a strong rapport with quarterback Kurtis Rourke.
The Hoosiers had a ready-made recruiting pitch to potential replacements but initially only signed one transfer slot receiver (Tyler Morris). They only added a second (Jonathan Brady) because Morris suffered a season-ending knee injury during spring camp.
Did the market change, or was it more of an internal shift in strategy? Or a combination of both?
Cignetti talked about cross-training guys more than they did last year to build the depth they had last year. He could also lean on true freshmen a bit more, an option that gained a bit of traction after he praised early enrollees Lebron Bond and Myles Kendrick throughout camp. Bond fits the profile of his predecessors at the position as a former decorated sprinter in high school.
Will Indiana football sophomore Charlie Becker jump the line?
Indiana only has a handful of true sophomores on the roster, and only one of them plays on offense, a distinction that belongs to wide receiver Charlie Becker, a former three-star recruit out of Nashville, Tennessee.
Becker's primary role was on special teams last season, but his size (6-foot-4, 204 pounds), athleticism (he won a series of state titles in track) and attention to detail positioned him to land a more prominent role in 2025 as one of IU's outside receivers.
The Hoosiers had five receivers with 20-plus catches and 300-plus yards last year, and any hope they have of matching that number will mean Becker reaching those milestones.
More: Indiana football coach Curt Cignetti: Opposing team offered Hoosiers player $1.5 million to transfer
Projected depth chart for Indiana's wide receivers
First Team: Elijah Sarratt, E.J. Williams Jr. Omar Cooper Jr.
Second Team: Makai Jackson, Jonathan Brady, Charlie Becker
Indiana football position preview roundup
Secondary
Michael Niziolek is the Indiana beat reporter for The Bloomington Herald-Times. You can follow him on X @michaelniziolek and read all his coverage by clicking here.
This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: Indiana football 2025 position preview: Wide receiver
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