Liberty Bowl halftime conversation flipped Sategna's mindset
Arkansas redshirt freshman Isaiah Sategna is an extremely talented wide receiver, but he wasn't able to showcase that as a freshman in 2022.
The Fayetteville native was named the 2021-22 Gatorade Arkansas Boys Track & Field Player of the Year and he was MileSplit's No. 4 track and field prospect in the nation for the 2022 class.
While he could compete with the always elite Arkansas men's track and field team, Sategna has stuck to football and it's starting to pay off. A product of Fayetteville High School, Sategna has built on a strong spring and turned into a legit starting candidate at slot wide receiver.
"He's matured to a point where we can really count on him, and I think he knows that," wide receivers coach Kenny Guiton said. "I think he'll excel with everything we throw in front of him."
As a freshman in 2022, Sategna could never break through and earn meaningful play time. Sategna rolled his ankle in practice in mid-September and head coach Sam Pittman said the team had "big plans" for Sategna at the time of the injury. Pittman updated Sategna's injury prior to the Auburn game and said it was still bothering the wideout, but by that point it just made sense to preserve the redshirt year.
Sategna played 24 offensive snaps as a freshman and 18 came in the Liberty Bowl against Kansas. Guiton said he had to talk with Sategna at halftime of that game because Guiton wasn't pleased with the effort he was seeing.
"It's funny, the bowl game he got a chance to play," Guiton said. "At halftime, I kind of got after him a little bit like, 'Hey man, you're running a middle school route,' and things of that nature."
That conversation has stuck with Sategna, who said he's referenced back to the Liberty Bowl tape often.
"Yeah, so right before halftime against Kansas, I didn’t run the best route, and then KJ ended up throwing an interception," Sategna said. "I really felt like that was my fault. I go back and watch that a lot. That just makes me want to work even harder and stuff. I’m going to keep that in the back of the mind this year whenever I’m going against these other DBs and just know that I’m going to get my payback."
Since then, Sategna has turned into one of the top receivers that Arkansas has at practice. He showcases his speed, route-running growth and ability to make tough plays each day and that's a product of him wanting to get on the field this fall.
"I’m trying to get on the field this year," Sategna said. "I don’t care where it’s at. Last year, it was kind of weird because I was on the bench. That’s never happened for me. This year I’ve just tried to go hard in practice and not take any plays off and just know that practice translates to the games. I’ve been trying to go hard."
Sategna is one of five Razorbacks who can run at least 22 miles per hour. He can emerge as a legit threat for third-year starter KJ Jefferson, but there is also plenty of talent vying for a starting receiver spot as well. Sategna said he's not worried about anyone but himself.
"I’ve never been the type to really worry about other people," Sategna said. "I’ve just been trying to focus on myself. Like I said, focus on the little details and stuff and just play my game. Just show the world who Isaiah is, because they haven’t seen it yet. That’s just what I’ve been trying to do."
Arkansas lost its top four wide receivers from last season, so there is a lot of production to be made up. Though the Razorbacks added three transfers, Sategna is someone who shouldn't be counted out as a potential candidate to be the team's leading receiver this fall.
Tuesday marked the Razorbacks' fifth practice of fall camp and they have 20 remaining ahead of the season opener against Western Carolina on Saturday, Sept. 2 at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock.