Players who will define OU's season: Isaiah Sategna
Editor’s note: With Oklahoma’s 2025-26 season just a few weeks away, OUInsider will examine the players who will have the biggest impact on the outcome. This article centers around wide receiver Isaiah Sategna, the ninth player to be featured in this series.
Oklahoma completely overhauled their wide receiver corps during the offseason. Between the transfer portal and high school recruiting, the Sooners added seven wideouts to the roster between December and April.
One player that’s become underrated among those acquisitions? Arkansas transfer Isaiah Sategna.
Sategna was an intriguing add from the portal. He’s the only Sooner on the roster who has experience playing in the SEC, outside of Deion Burks — who played in only two SEC contests last season. Sategna also simply has more experience on the field than most of OU’s wideouts. He started nine games last season and logged 599 snaps, which would’ve ranked fifth on OU’s offense last season and by far the most among the wide receivers.
But Sategna is an intriguing fit in the wide receiver room. He’s played primarily in the slot, which is where Burks made his living last season when healthy. There’s also simply a log jam at wide receiver, and the Sooners could potentially have as many as 10 players vying for snaps when fall camp begins on July 31.
There’s a lot to unpack. Here’s an overview of Sategna’s role in the offense:
2024 STATS
Receptions: 37
Yards: 491
Touchdowns: 1
Yards per catch: 13.3
2025 OUTLOOK
Even if everyone is healthy, Sategna will have a role. But considering Jayden Gibson and Javonnie Gibson enter fall camp with health concerns, that could thrust Sategna into substantial playing time.
So it’s interesting to project how the Sooners will utilize him.
Sategna was a big part of Arkansas’ offense, finishing second on the team in receptions, targets (54) and receiving yards. He was used almost exclusively in the slot — nearly 93% of his snaps came there last season. Compare that to Burks, who played 86% of his snaps there in 2024.
The Razorbacks primarily used Sategna as a safety blanket in the middle of the field. He had an average depth of target (ADOT) of 11.1 yards, and nearly half of his targets came in the middle of the field with an ADOT between 0-9 yards.
However, the Razorbacks weren’t afraid to deploy him down the field. He had 13 targets with an ADOT of at least 20 yards, catching six of those passes for 192 yards and a touchdown. His touchdown came on a 58-yard score against Auburn, when he went up for a contested catch on an under-thrown ball.
Could that versatility translate into Ben Arbuckle’s offense? Could it be a weapon for John Mateer? The Sooners’ new quarterback-offensive coordinator duo hasn’t been shy about airing it down the field.
If Sategna can play outside the slot, that would give the Sooners more options. It would also prevent a log jam in the slot, and potentially allow the Sooners to play formations with Burks and Sategna on the field together. Burks has already shown he can play on the perimeter — he played in the slot just 7% of the time at Purdue in 2023, when he caught 47 passes.
Being flexible and versatile will be key for Sategna. If he can display that, he’ll earn a regular role in the offense. Combine that with any potential injuries, and Sategna could end up being one of the most important players on the Sooners’ offense this fall.
OUINSIDER PLAYER SERIES
RB Jaydn Ott
LB Kip Lewis
WR Deion Burks
DB Eli Bowen
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