NORMAN — As expected, Oklahoma will return its leading receiver for 2026.
Isaiah Sategna III is staying for his second season in Norman, he announced Thursday afternoon.
The NFL draft deadline for early entrants was Wednesday night.
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Sategna led the Sooners with 67 receptions for 965 yards and eight touchdowns in 2025, playing in all 13 games. He was a second-team All-SEC selection and returned punts.
“(Quarterback) John (Mateer) always seems to know where Isaiah is going to be, what he’s going to do and Isaiah has done a great job of making some really big-time plays this year for us and doing a lot of special things with the ball after the catch,” offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle said on Dec. 15.
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After breaking out, Sategna could have left for the NFL, but he ultimately chose to return for his final season of college football.
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CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz first reported Sategna was returning to Norman.
The Austin native joined OU starting with the 2025 season after transferring from Arkansas. He scored game-winning touchdowns against LSU and Missouri.
With the Razorbacks, Sategna made 10 starts in 2024, was named to the Freshman All-SEC Team in 2023 and redshirted in 2022.
In Sategna’s announcement post on Instagram, he also appeared to hint at a possible jersey number switch from No. 5 to No. 1.
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Sategna’s return is massive news for a position group that lost six receivers to the transfer portal and saw Deion Burks (second in receiving yards), tight end Jaren Kanak (third) and Keontez Lewis (fourth) run out of eligibility.
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The Sooners’ projected starting receivers unit in 2026 includes Virginia transfer Trell Harris (847 yards in 2025), Texas transfer Parker Livingstone (516 yards in 2025) and Sategna.
OU also added Washington State transfer receiver Mackenzie Alleyne in the transfer portal. The portal will remain open through Friday.
“Sategna, we’d be remiss if we didn’t bring him up and what he’s meant,” coach Brent Venables said on Dec. 15. “The toughness, the grittiness, the competitive spirit that he plays with. Guys, they play hard when they’re on the punt return unit because they know he, at any point in time, can change a game.”
Colton Sulley covers the Oklahoma Sooners for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Colton? He can be reached at csulley@oklahoman.com or on X/Twitter at @colton_sulley. Support Colton’s work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com.
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OU football WR Isaiah Sategna III announces return for 2026 season
