Fresh Faces: Transfer WR Isaiah Sategna Bringing Versatility to Oklahoma Offense

Isaiah Sategna has sacrificed his childhood fandom during his first few months at Oklahoma.

Sategna, a transfer wide receiver who last played at Arkansas, spent most of his childhood in Austin before his family moved to Fayetteville.

His father, Mario Sategna, coached track and field at Texas for several years before eventually joining the staff at Texas A&M. And because of that, Isaiah grew up rooting for the Longhorns.

Now a member of Oklahoma’s football team, his days of wearing burnt orange are long in the past.

“On my recruiting visit, that was the first time I threw the horns down,” Sategna said. “I was like, ‘Wow, that feels really good.’”

Sategna was a consensus 4-star wideout prospect in the Class of 2022, and he was also the No. 4 track and field recruit in the class, per MileSplit. He chose to begin his college career at Arkansas instead of offers from Auburn, Baylor, Oregon and Florida State.

The wideout played in four games as a true freshman in 2022, redshirting the season. 

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He played in all 12 games as a redshirt freshman in 2023, catching 15 passes for 129 yards and two touchdowns. Sategna broke out as a return man for the Razorbacks, logging 500 yards on 23 kickoff returns.

Sategna’s return numbers went down in 2024, as he fielded just three kickoffs. The wide receiver, though, had his best season in the slot, finishing the year with 491 yards and a touchdown on 37 receptions.

After the year, Sategna entered the portal, looking for a business-like atmosphere.

He found that at Oklahoma.

“It’s SEC to SEC, so I kind of knew what to expect, but it’s more professional here,” Sategna said. “It’s been a smooth transition.”

Another draw for Sategna was the Sooners’ revamped offense.

Oklahoma landed Washington State quarterback John Mateer from the transfer portal in December. Mateer threw for 3,139 passing yards, 29 touchdowns and just seven interceptions for the Cougars in 2024.

“John likes to push the ball down field, and that’s my specialty,” Sategna said. “Big plays. Just being explosive, and I feel like this is the perfect offense to suit my game.”

Sategna is also one of several newcomers in Oklahoma’s wide receiver room. The Sooners picked up transfers Javonnie Gibson (Arkansas-Pine Bluff), Josiah Martin (California) and Keontez Lewis (Southern Illinois). They also signed two wideouts, Elijah Thomas and Manny Choice, in the Class of 2025.

The retooling is much needed for the Sooners after they went 6-7 in 2024, averaging just 175.8 passing yards per game.

Only a few months into his time in Norman, Sategna believes Oklahoma’s offense will return to what it was in the past.

“Everybody’s a playmaker from the one, two and three groups,” Sategna said. “It doesn't matter who’s out there. The ball’s going to be pushed down the field. It’s going to happen.”

After opposing Sategna for a few months of spring ball, cornerback Gentry Williams believes the wideout will be a star in OU’s new-look offense.

“One of the fastest dudes,” Williams said. “I think he’s doing really well. I think he’s been helping us a lot. He’ll be able to move around. I’m just excited for him. He can catch the ball, he can run fast. So, you need people like that.”

Sategna primarily played in the slot at Arkansas, in addition to his duties on the Razorbacks’ return teams. He hopes to embrace his versatility and become “more explosive” in 2025.

But one of Sategna’s goals is more specific: To have a big game against his hometown Longhorns.

“(The horns are) getting thrown down, for sure,” Sategna said.