PASADENA, Calif. — FOX Sports play-by-play announcer Gus Johnson — who's a bit excitable, to say the least — has been on the call for many of Indiana's best football moments this year. And little-known sophomore wide receiver Charlie Becker has become something of a cult hero among Hoosiers fans thanks to some of Johnson's calls.

Becker came off the bench at Penn State on Nov. 8, and made seven catches for 118 yards, including a 53-yard bomb from quarterback Fernando Mendoza. Many of his catches were highlight-worthy.

With star receiver Elijah Sarratt out with a hamstring injury, Becker stepped up in a big way off the bench. He did the same thing the next week, making five catches for 108 yards in a win over Wisconsin.

Sarratt was back for the Big Ten Championship Game on Dec. 6, a battle of No. 1 Ohio State vs. No. 2 Indiana for all the conference marbles. And when Omar Cooper Jr. went down in the first quarter, all Becker did was make six catches for 121 yards. 

There was a 51-yard bomb in there, and Johnson lost it. And when Becker made a huge third-down catch on the final drive to secure the win, Johnson didn't even try to contain his excitement.

A legend was born.

"Charlie B from Nashville Tennessee''

It's all been quite a lot. Becker didn't have any catches as a freshman in 2024, just seeing some action on special teams, and that was all. But he's stepped up in a big way this year. He's had 26 catches this year for 515 yards.

He's got ''Charlie B'' t-shirts now, too, and the Beckers have a new family friend in Johnson.

“My parents (Dave and Tracy) enjoy it a lot. I delete all my social media, so I’m off all of it, but my parents were actually just on the phone with Gus last night and they were telling me all about that,'' Becker said during a Rose Bowl media day interview on Tuesday.

"They love him. My family loves Gus. They are his No. 1 fans. They enjoy it a lot, and I’m enjoying it too. But we’re getting ready for the next game.''

Johnson isn't the only one who's been a huge Becker fan the past few months. Next man up is always a thing in football, but he became a go-to stud when Sarratt went down, and then helped Indiana win its first undisputed Big Ten title in 80 years with his huge game against Ohio State.

It's been quite a ride for the speedy wide receiver who has under-recruited coming out of Nashville, Tenn., but has certainly found a home at Indiana. And he's part of one of the most dangerous receivers rooms in the country with Sarratt, Cooper and E.J. Williams.

“Coming in here last year, I was the only freshman and I was super nervous. These guys took me in as their own. It’s really a brotherhood in this room,'' Becker said. "Somebody might not have a good game, but somebody else might have a great game and everybody is super excited for him.

"We’re always keeping each other up when something does go wrong. Having that kind of camaraderie, it helps a lot because if you have a question about how to attack this guy on defense, they’re not hesitant to tell you exactly how to do it, and the best way to do it.''

Indiana plays blueblood Alabama on Thursday in the Rose Bowl, and it will be 25 days between games for the Hoosiers. It's given time for Cooper to heal, and he's 100 percent heading into the game. Now fully healthy as a group, Becker says they can't wait to see what they can do as a group against Alabama.

“We’re obviously super excited. It’s the granddaddy of them all, but at the end of the day, Coach (Curt Cignetti) has been preaching it, that it’s just another game,'' Becker said. "Obviously, we’re playing in the Rose Bowl and that’s awesome, but it’s just another game against a fantastic team. I’m excited to see how our receivers play against Alabama.  

“They gave a great D-line, great linebackers, great secondary. They are great everywhere and they are a fantastic Alabama team. I think we have a good scheme and a good plan. Coach Shanahan and Coach Cig have done a good job of preparing us for this game.''

The Hoosiers are 13-0, the only unbeaten team remaining in America. They are the No. 1 seed in the 12-team College Football Playoff, and they face No. 9 Alabama, which upset Oklahoma in the first round on Dec. 19.

It's been an incredible year for the Hoosiers in Cignetti's second year. They went 11-2 a year ago, setting a school record for wins. Now they're 13-0 and ranked No. 1 in the country for the first time in school history.

They've accomplished a lot. But Becker says they're just getting started. They still feel disrespected by the college football community at large, and still have a lot to prove.

“To be honest with you, we haven’t won anything yet,'' the 6-foot-4 Becker said. "Yeah, we won the Big Ten championship, but we are always looking for that next step and how we can improve on our game and ourselves.

"Everybody keeps saying Indiana is just another pushover team and we keep proving them wrong. But at the end of the day, we haven’t proven anything yet.''  

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