Isaac TeSlaa Checks Out Iowa Football

Hillsdale College Transfer Wide Receiver Impressed with Hawkeyes

Isaac TeSlaa believed he could play Power 5 Football coming out of Hudsonville (MI) Unity Christian High School as a member of the 2019 recruiting class. Those big schools didn't see it. 

Off went TeSlaa to Division II Hillsdale College in his home state. There he spent three seasons proving the doubters wrong. 

The 6-foot-4, 200-pound receiver announced last month that he was leaving Hillsdale. Thursday, he posted on social media that had received scholarship offers from Houston, Iowa, Iowa State and Oklahoma State. 

Last weekend, TeSlaa officially visited Iowa State. This weekend, he was checking out the Hawkeyes. 

"I really enjoyed learning about the school and the football program and what it has to offer," he told HN. "Getting a chance to sit down with the coaches and talk about football was great. I really appreciate the culture they have at Iowa. They play the game the right way."

Iowa struggled mightily on offense the last two seasons, finishing near the bottom of the rankings for all FBS programs. Ferentz, and his son, offensive coordinator, Brian Ferentz, have come under fire for having a punchless attack, some fans calling for change.  

The root of the problems this season were on the offensive line and at receiver. Tight end Sam LaPorta was named the Big Ten's best at his position. True freshman running back Kaleb Johnson averaged 5.4 yards on 142 attempts with six touchdowns. 

The Hawkeye wideouts caught 72 passes for 752 yards and two scores. By comparison, the conference receiver of the year, Ohio State's Marvin Harrison Jr., recorded the same amount of catches for 1,157 yards and 12 TDs. 

Iowa needs additions at receiver in order to fix the offense. TeSlaa could help. Check out his film. It's impressive. 

He has faith in the Hawkeyes despite the rep about how they utilize receivers. 

"I know there’s a stigma that Iowa doesn’t have much production at the receiver position, but I don’t want to rule them out just for that. They run a successful, balanced offense, and that is appealing to anyone looking to play there. I know if I go there, there will be a chance for me to be successful," TeSlaa told HN.

He hauled in 68 passes for 1,325 yards and 13 touchdowns in 11 games this past season. As a redshirt freshman in '21, he caught 45 balls for 698 yards and seven scores. He averaged 17.9 yards per catch during his time at Hillsdale. 

TeSlaa is considering other visits but doesn't know when or where they would be. For now, he is mulling over his Iowa and Iowa State stops. 

"It’s hard to compare. My experience on both visits was great. They’re both great programs, and I was extremely impressed with both," he said. 

TeSlaa will be studying Exercise Science at his next school. He doesn't have a timeline for when he'll be deciding where that will be.