Isaiah Sategna opens up on his growth from last year

Grant Grubbsby:Grant Grubbs08/11/23

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Isaiah Sategna isn’t the same player he was a year ago. The Arkansas wide receiver is ready to reintroduce himself.

“I’ve never been the type to really worry about other people. I’ve just been trying to focus on myself,” Sategna said on Tuesday. “Focus on the little details and stuff. Just play my game and show the world who Isaiah is because they haven’t seen it yet. So, that’s what I’ve been trying to do.”

Sategna’s time was undoubtedly limited last season. As a freshman, Sategna appeared in just four games, recording two receptions for 12 yards. With such little playing time, Sategna preserved his redshirt season.

Despite his unassuming statistics, Sategna was a major recruit in high school. The 5-foot-10 wideout was a four-star recruit and the No. 24 wide receiver in the Class of 2022. Further, he was the No. 1 prospect from Arkansas, according to On3 Industry Rankings.

Isaiah Sategna is bolstered by surrounding pieces

Sategna reminded Razorback fans why he was so highly rated during the program’s spring game. The redshirt freshman hauled in three catches for 95 yards and three touchdowns to lead all pass catchers. After the contest, QB1 KJ Jefferson gave props to Sategna.

“He’s made great strides this spring. He’s really embraced it,” Jefferson said. “That whole receiver room has really embraced the competition level. They come in each and every day ready to work. So in their room, it’s just iron sharpening iron, and I’m glad Isaiah got a chance to showcase his talents today, his athleticism, and he made some really good catches down the field, and across the middle, and stuff like that.”

Jefferson will need Sategna as much as the young receiver needs him. Arkansas lost its top four pass catchers from last season to the NFL or the transfer portal. The team’s top returning receiver is Bryce Stephens, who recorded just 109 receiving yards last season.

Nonetheless, Arkansas has an answer for its gaping holes: offensive coordinator Dan Enos. The program hired Enos this offseason after Kendal Briles moved on to be the OC at TCU. Enos has already made a strong impression on Arkansas wide receivers coach Kenny Guiton.

“Just a smart guy, you can tell he’s seasoned, been through it before, knows what to expect, knows what first-day mistakes are going to happen,” Guiton said. “He knows what’s going to happen before it happens, so just one of those coaches to learn from because he is a vet.”