Arkansas Razorbacks wide receivers Andrew Armstrong and Isaiah Sategna after practice on Thursday on development of group with lots of new faces.
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00:00 Isaiah, I was just curious, from the spring,
00:02 you had a pretty big red-white game.
00:04 Have you been able to build on that leading into this season?
00:08 My focus since the spring game
00:09 has just been to focus on the little stuff,
00:11 the details and stuff, working on my route running,
00:14 my blocking, and obviously my catching.
00:18 Playing the slot primarily,
00:19 at least that's what we see you out there.
00:21 It looks like you guys are working
00:22 a lot of screen game stuff.
00:23 You see that as being a big part of this offense,
00:25 and how can you excel?
00:27 I mean, I love the screen game.
00:30 Get to really utilize my speed on those,
00:32 so I really like screens
00:34 and hope that we call them in the game.
00:37 You were one of the guys that clocked 22 miles an hour,
00:40 both of you guys, I believe.
00:42 But I was curious, Isaiah,
00:43 you come from such a track background.
00:45 Your parents were track people, obviously.
00:48 You won all four events in the 6A state championship.
00:51 What was your --
00:53 but just, like, how does that translate for you
00:54 over to football?
00:56 And also, I was just curious, like,
00:57 what's your fastest 100-meter time?
01:00 You know, I mean, I've always been a runner and stuff,
01:02 and football, it translates to the track really, really well.
01:07 And, you know, I just try and use track as much as I can
01:10 whenever I'm in my receiver stance,
01:12 just pushing out like I'm in blocks and stuff.
01:14 And, you know, just have big, long strides
01:17 whenever I'm in open field.
01:19 And then, you know, kind of chop it down a little bit
01:22 whenever it's a little bit closer.
01:23 But in the 100, my freshman year, I ran 10.8,
01:26 and that was my fastest time.
01:31 Andrew, you told me during the recruiting,
01:33 you and Isaac both told me one of the reasons
01:35 you were considering your success
01:37 that Matt Landerson and Jaden Hazelwood had.
01:39 Now Coach Gatton talks about you and Isaac
01:42 being two of the leaders.
01:43 Talk about how you've come in and kind of taken the role
01:47 that those guys had last year
01:48 and kind of influenced you coming here.
01:50 Well, basically, you know, I just get into the room.
01:52 I talk to the guys.
01:54 All the guys trust me. I trust them.
01:56 We all just talk as a whole.
01:58 If somebody does something wrong,
01:59 we all come together. Nobody's mad at nobody
02:02 because we'd rather it happen at practice
02:03 than it happen in the game.
02:04 So we make all our mistakes in practice.
02:06 We go to the game, you know, no mistakes.
02:08 You know, we want that level to be very low.
02:10 So, you know, as a whole offense,
02:14 you know, receivers, whole line,
02:15 like, we all just come together and just play as one.
02:19 Isaiah, it seemed like last year during the spring
02:22 or after spring break, you know,
02:24 Jaden had that accident and then Tyrone got hurt.
02:29 It seemed like you kind of took off then.
02:31 I mean, you're-- it just seemed like you picked up
02:33 your intensity or you just had more--
02:36 talk about that.
02:37 I mean, then you finished out like, I think,
02:39 Trey said, with the spring game.
02:41 You played really well.
02:43 You know, I've never been the type to really worry
02:45 about other people.
02:46 I've just been trying to focus on myself.
02:48 Like I said, focus on the little details and stuff.
02:50 And, you know, just play my game,
02:52 like just show the world who Isaiah is
02:54 because, you know, they haven't seen it yet.
02:55 So that's just what I've been trying to do.
02:59 Andrew, we were talking to a coach here recently
03:02 and they were talking about when the transfers came in,
03:04 they didn't want to step on people's toes
03:06 and they just kind of, you know, learn and all.
03:08 But here, now you're a leader in the room.
03:09 What-- what was it that maybe you saw that, like,
03:12 hey, I can-- I can show my experience to these guys?
03:14 What was that?
03:16 You know, when I came in, I didn't want--
03:18 I didn't want to be like--
03:19 I didn't want them to put me in just a starter role.
03:21 You know, I didn't-- I wanted-- I wanted to work.
03:23 I wanted to start from the bottom, like,
03:24 to show-- to show, like, what I can actually do.
03:27 And I feel like I've been doing a great job.
03:30 And not only me, the young guys, too,
03:32 but they've been doing a great job.
03:33 You know, Sam and Bocke, Jadon, Isaiah, you know,
03:37 all the-- even all the new guys, Davion.
03:39 Davion's been doing really good.
03:41 Like, so I just-- I just-- I just look at all of them
03:44 and I use them as motivation.
03:45 I feel like they use me as motivation with my--
03:47 knowing I've been in college for so long,
03:48 what I did last year, and bringing my experience here.
03:51 I feel like it's going to be-- be a very good year.
03:53 - And then coming back, was that attractive
03:55 for you to come here?
03:57 And what's it been like building the rapport with him?
03:59 - It's definitely been-- when I seen he was coming back,
04:02 you know, that-- that gave me even more, you know,
04:06 thought of coming to the University of Arkansas
04:08 and being at Fayetteville.
04:10 And it's just, you know, throughout the summer,
04:12 we-- we threw-- we had off days.
04:14 Even-- well, we didn't have any off days, really.
04:16 But we threw-- we threw a lot, like,
04:18 even in the afternoon after workouts, you know,
04:20 we'll go home, take a break,
04:21 come back up here during the afternoon and throw.
04:24 So it's just-- it's just been-- been very, very,
04:27 you know, time and right, good with KJ.
04:29 - Andrew, I've noticed that you and Snacks
04:32 just, like, really get after it.
04:33 I feel like you guys line against each other
04:35 more than anybody.
04:36 Just what is it about that relationship
04:38 with you and him?
04:39 - Yeah, me and Snacks, Jadon, too,
04:40 we all been knowing each other since we were, like--
04:42 I've been knowing Snacks since I was, like, seventh grade.
04:44 So we went against each other in high school
04:45 and seven on seven a lot.
04:47 So when he came up here, we both came up here.
04:49 You know, me and him just going against each other,
04:50 it makes him better, makes me better.
04:53 Even Nudy, I go against Nudy, too.
04:55 Nudy, it makes me better, makes him better, you know.
04:57 So we all just compete.
04:58 'Cause like I said, we'd rather lose--
05:00 I'd rather lose against them here
05:01 than lose against somebody in the game, you know.
05:03 So we just take that all--
05:05 it's all in and just hone in on all those things.
05:09 - And Isaiah, of course, last year,
05:11 I think you had a rolled ankle or something.
05:13 But, you know, your connection with KJ,
05:15 how is that coming along?
05:17 Just, you know, being able to get some first team reps
05:19 in camp and all that.
05:21 - I mean, KJ, he always gonna throw it on the money.
05:23 So we just have the easy part.
05:25 We just got to catch the ball and stuff.
05:27 So, you know, KJ, I can see, like,
05:29 the improvement from last year.
05:30 And, like, I mean, all the receivers,
05:33 we know what he's about to do this year.
05:35 So...
05:37 - Andrew, you know, transferring to Arkansas
05:40 from, you know, a smaller school,
05:42 has it hit you yet that, like, you know,
05:43 I'm sure every kid kind of grows up
05:45 wanting to play big-time college football,
05:46 that this is, you know,
05:47 that you're going to have that opportunity this fall?
05:49 - Absolutely. You know, it's hit me.
05:51 But at the end of the day, I just--
05:53 [clears throat] Sorry.
05:54 I just take it as, like, you know, football is football.
05:57 It's people in lower level football
05:58 that's very, very good.
06:00 It's people that are high level football
06:01 that's very, very good.
06:02 So I don't look at it as, like,
06:04 okay, I'm going against, you know,
06:06 the best of the best.
06:07 It's a lot of great players all around the country
06:10 in every single division.
06:12 So I just come in here and I'm just, you know,
06:13 ready to play football and ready to see the fans.
06:16 - Outside of the football, is there, like,
06:19 what's the biggest shock, maybe,
06:21 coming to, like, a big SEC program,
06:23 the facilities, the food, you know,
06:24 what's kind of been like, oh, this is--
06:26 this is a little different than where I was?
06:27 - Yeah, the facility, the food,
06:30 the fans, the stadium, like,
06:33 just even working-- even working out in the stadium,
06:35 like, just looking around and seeing all those--
06:37 all those seats, because I didn't see those seats
06:39 in my old school, about, you know,
06:41 yeah, it wasn't-- it wasn't that big of that stadium.
06:44 So me just looking at that stature is just crazy.
06:47 - Yeah, it seems like you made a big jump
06:49 from your sophomore to junior year at your old school.
06:52 What kind of, you know, what changed for you
06:54 to allow you to have such a good season last season?
06:57 - I was, you know, I just honed in.
06:59 I just honed in last year.
07:01 My last year as a receiver coach, you know,
07:02 he really told me that, you know,
07:05 I got this and I actually, you know,
07:08 just made sure I honed in on my--
07:10 the small details of my releases, my routes,
07:13 you know, not rolling into routes,
07:15 actually getting the break of my routes.
07:17 So that really helped me.
07:19 I had seniors in front of me the year before,
07:21 so I really didn't touch the field as much.
07:23 But the year after that, you know,
07:24 I actually got the chance to show what I can actually do.
07:27 - Both of you, what was it like working with KJ
07:29 in the offseason, like, what type of emphasis
07:31 was placed on going and throwing with receivers on your own?
07:35 - I mean, whenever we would throw,
07:36 let's say we didn't get something right
07:37 or, I mean, it was a misthrow,
07:40 like, we would have to rep it again.
07:41 Just repetition, I would say, was the biggest thing,
07:44 being consistent with it.
07:45 - Yeah, along with what I did,
07:47 you know, just making sure we had a great timing
07:50 and things like that, such as, like,
07:53 if we--like he said, if we mess up,
07:54 well, we'll go, we're running back, we're running back.
07:56 I remember I had to run it back, like, three times
07:58 because we just couldn't get the timing down.
07:59 But we actually--we started to get it down.
08:01 It starts to connect.
08:02 And so I feel like it was just a great point
08:05 coming into fall camp.
08:07 - Another thing is, like, with the new offense
08:09 that we're running, like, with the old offense,
08:12 let's say we would have a dig, but it would be,
08:15 like, now we could still run a dig,
08:17 but it's just, like, a little different.
08:19 Like, let's say we have to edge cut it.
08:20 So the timing with that is different and stuff.
08:23 So just getting that down.
08:27 - And Coach Guyton earlier, probably heard him,
08:29 said that you're a savvy guy on top of your speed.
08:33 Like, in your mind, what's savvy?
08:35 Like, what's the savviness?
08:37 - Savvy, I guess, you just say,
08:39 like, I know how to, you know, get open.
08:41 It's like when I'm on the field, it just--
08:44 I'm a reaction player.
08:46 Like, I just react to what goes on.
08:47 So I know how to find the zones.
08:49 I know how to--it just clicks in my head
08:51 when I'm on the field.
08:52 Like, I don't think so much.
08:53 I just go.
08:55 - For both of you guys, what kind of a camp
08:57 has Isaac had, like, maybe working with you guys?
09:01 - Tesla. Tesla is just--
09:03 he--I watch--I go home and watch film,
09:05 and I'm trying to watch me, but I go to watch him.
09:08 Like, he just pops out on the screen,
09:10 so I just go and watch him.
09:11 And the next thing you know,
09:13 I'm five plays into watching film,
09:14 and I'm still watching him, not knowing.
09:16 I'm probably watching my--
09:17 but Tesla's really tough,
09:19 and what he does in the weight room
09:21 and just everything.
09:22 He just--he's that guy.
09:24 - Yeah, he's a big physical guy,
09:26 but I think what stands out the most about him
09:28 is his hands.
09:29 I mean, he's consistent with it.
09:31 He's always going to make that big catch.
09:34 - I forgot to ask you guys earlier.
09:35 Last year, KJ missed a couple games with injury.
09:38 That can always happen.
09:39 What have you seen from Jacoby Criswell?
09:40 Can both of y'all answer that?
09:42 - I mean, Jacoby, he has a cannon.
09:44 He wants to throw it deep every time,
09:47 and I mean, his intermediate passes
09:49 are really good, too.
09:50 And I mean, we didn't have him last year,
09:52 so this is my first time throwing with him and stuff.
09:54 So, I mean, I really like going with him.
09:57 And I mean, I'm a deep threat,
09:59 so, you know, I love going with him.
10:01 - Yeah, Jacoby knows what--
10:03 he knows what he's doing in the backfield,
10:04 and you love to see that from a guy
10:06 that plays quarterback,
10:07 because he's the leader.
10:08 He has to be the leader of a team.
10:10 His short pass game, his intermediate deep ball,
10:13 like you said, he's got a cannon of arms.
10:15 He knows how to throw it.
10:16 He knows how to read the zone,
10:17 knowing if it's man.
10:18 So, you know, it's just--
10:19 he's very great.
10:22 - I was going to ask one, Jacoby,
10:23 but I just got one question for you, Isaiah.
10:27 Recruiting process for you,
10:29 you seemed like you were trying to get away from home, maybe.
10:32 You committed to Texas A&M for a little while,
10:34 committed to Oregon for a few months,
10:37 and then came back around and settled in on Arkansas.
10:40 What was that process like for you?
10:41 What were you looking for,
10:43 and just what did you ultimately end up finding
10:46 closer to home?
10:48 - I would just say I didn't know exactly
10:50 what I was going to do with Arkansas,
10:52 and I remember going to the Texas game,
10:55 and it was, like, second game of the season,
10:57 and, you know, I didn't even go as a recruit.
11:00 Like, I went with my buddy,
11:01 and just the atmosphere there, I was like,
11:04 "Yeah, I think I'm going to go here."
11:06 Like, I didn't tell anybody,
11:07 but I knew, like, I was going to go here.
11:10 And so, you know, I started getting recruited again
11:13 and stuff, and, you know, I feel like Coach Pittman
11:16 and Coach Guyton is another big reason
11:18 as to why I came here,
11:19 and they just made it feel like home,
11:21 and, you know, Coach Pittman, he's a great coach,
11:23 and, you know, I just couldn't turn it down.
11:27 - Andrew, yesterday, we got the chance to talk to the DBs,
11:29 and I know you talked about the competition
11:31 that you guys have with them,
11:32 but Nudy seemed really impressed.
11:34 He was like, "Andrew has just changed so much
11:36 from spring to now.
11:37 All of us DBs are impressed with him."
11:39 Can you talk a little bit about--
11:41 you talked about your game
11:42 and how it changed from last year to this year,
11:44 but talk a little bit about where you feel
11:46 like it's changed from spring to now.
11:48 - I feel like when I got here in the spring,
11:50 I was still kind of nervous, trying to feel my way out.
11:53 But now, you know, going through summer,
11:54 I've actually been in a relationship
11:55 with all the players on the team.
11:56 I'm just so-- I'm very confident right now,
11:59 you know, with the playbook.
12:01 Make sure I'm in the playbook every day before I go to bed
12:04 and just, like, knowing the plays, knowing everything,
12:06 so when I get out on the field,
12:07 I can go 110 miles per hour.
12:09 So that's my main thing
12:12 about what's been going from spring to fall.
12:15 - I think that Andrew, he--
12:17 like, the thing that sticks out to me the most about him
12:19 is his, like, polishness.
12:22 He's a really polished receiver, and just his hands.
12:24 Like, he's always going to make the catch.
12:26 Today, he had a really nice one-hand grab,
12:28 and, you know, he's physical and stuff, too,
12:30 but, you know, he's a great receiver.
12:33 - Isaiah, Coach Fowler seemed pretty stoked
12:34 about maybe having you on a kickoff return.
12:36 I'm wondering, like, what your level of wanting to do
12:38 kickoff, maybe in front, I think.
12:41 - No, I'm trying to get on the field this year.
12:43 I don't care where it's at.
12:44 You know, last year, it was kind of weird
12:46 because, you know, I was on the bench,
12:48 and that's never happened for me.
12:50 So this year, I've just been trying to go hard in practice,
12:53 not take any plays off,
12:54 and just know that practice translates to the game.
12:58 So I'm trying to go hard.
12:59 - Bryce, pretty well split in time with the one
13:01 basically with the top unit slot?
13:04 - Yes, sir.
13:05 Bryce, I mean, last year, he was over me,
13:07 so, you know, we really play off each other.
13:09 Like, he'll have a good play, and then I'm like,
13:11 "Okay, I need to turn it up. Let's go."
13:13 And then he'd see me get a big play,
13:15 and then he knows he needs to match that, too.
13:17 So I feel like we're really good,
13:19 and we complement each other.
13:21 - Quoting the stats on the two-on-two earlier,
13:23 and Coach Guyton said, "Yeah, it wasn't the best period."
13:26 How did y'all bounce back?
13:27 How did y'all do well the rest of practice today?
13:30 - We bounced back.
13:32 We bounced back.
13:33 We--yeah, we started-- we started to lock in, you know,
13:37 practicing in the morning.
13:38 Everybody still had to wake up.
13:39 We got to wake up.
13:40 So once we get outside and the sun starts to hit us
13:43 and everybody's, you know, locked in,
13:45 it became a great practice.
13:48 - Yeah, I would say we started off a little flat.
13:51 You know, it's a good competition every day.
13:52 I feel like we go back and forth.
13:54 Yesterday, we beat the DBs in two-on-twos.
13:57 Today, they had the better of us,
13:58 but I would say we finished good.
14:01 We finished where we needed to be.
14:03 - [inaudible]
14:07 - Your team's all right.
14:08 - Yeah, everybody really--
14:09 - The whole offense shined in two minutes, you know?
14:13 You don't want to just key in on one player
14:15 because even when one player makes a play,
14:18 somebody, you know, was responsible for that play.
14:20 Even if the old line blocking for the quarterback,
14:22 the quarterback throwing the ball,
14:23 like, it's not just one player.
14:24 So I feel like the whole offense had to hold.
14:27 - [inaudible]
14:30 - Yes, sir.
14:31 So I would say the way our offense works,
14:34 if somebody's open, that means that somebody else
14:36 did their job and got you open.
14:40 - Andrew, you talked a minute ago about knowing Nody
14:42 since the seventh grade or something.
14:44 Just wondering kind of what your impressions are
14:46 of him as a player.
14:47 Maybe have you seen him progress
14:49 and what it's been like going against him in practice
14:52 and I'd be curious your thoughts on Nody,
14:56 just what makes him a good corner?
14:57 - Yeah, it was actually snagged on me since seventh grade,
14:59 but Nody, yeah, you can--
15:01 - Express that part just what you think about Nody.
15:03 - Yeah, Nody, Nody, man, I go against him every--
15:06 I go against him, try to go against him every day
15:07 because I know, like, he's very smart.
15:09 Like, he knows exactly what's coming.
15:12 So you have to really be honed in on your technique
15:15 going against Nody because if you mess up
15:17 on the smallest thing, like, you're not going to be open.
15:20 So I feel like Nody is great at what he does.
15:23 You could tell he watches film.
15:24 He would definitely watch this film
15:26 no matter if it's a practice game.
15:27 He definitely watches film.
15:28 So I feel like that's a great aspect you need
15:30 in a cornerback on your team.
15:33 - You can see that Nody's experience
15:35 really comes into play.
15:37 He's been in the SEC for a little bit
15:39 and, you know, he's guarded some great receivers.
15:41 So you just got to be on point with all your routes and stuff.
15:44 You can't give anything away or he's going to key on that.
15:46 And, you know, he's-- like Andrew said,
15:49 he really watches his film.
15:51 So you really got to switch up your stuff
15:52 whenever you're going against him.
15:54 But, I mean, he's a great player.
15:56 - I'm sorry. - And he's going to be great this year.
15:59 - If you're out on College Avenue driving, you know,
16:01 behind somebody driving 22, it might drive you nuts.
16:04 But what's it like as a person
16:06 to be running 22 miles an hour like you guys can?
16:09 What's that feel like?
16:11 - It feels really cool.
16:12 You're all right running beside each other.
16:13 So it's like we're trying to see who's going to run the fastest.
16:16 But, you know, when the times came out,
16:19 that we all ran at 22, I was really amazed myself.
16:22 I didn't think-- you know, I give all credit
16:25 to the student staff and the training staff
16:26 because they got our hamstrings feeling great.
16:28 So they got-- we're able to actually stride at it and run.
16:31 So...
16:32 - Yeah, I mean, what's that like on your legs?
16:37 - I'll just say iron sharpens iron.
16:39 And, you know, one person hit 22,
16:43 the next person's like, oh, yeah, now it's my turn.
16:45 I got to get that. I got to top that.
16:47 So I'm going to be all over it.
16:50 Yeah, it's just all competition in our room.
16:52 But we call ourselves the slide outs.
16:54 And, I mean, you can really see it
16:56 because a lot of people are over 22.
16:58 And that's nothing to play with.
17:01 - One more.
17:02 Braisey, I might have misunderstood Kenny.
17:04 I think he said at halftime of the bowl game,
17:06 he said something to you about he wasn't real happy
17:08 with the way you ran a route, like a middle school route
17:10 or something like that.
17:12 But that must have hit-- resonated with you.
17:14 Kind of what do you remember about that?
17:15 And how'd you react to that?
17:17 - Yeah, so right before halftime against Kansas,
17:20 I didn't run the best route.
17:21 And then KJ ended up throwing an interception.
17:23 I really felt like that was my fault.
17:25 So, you know, I go back and watch that a lot.
17:27 And, you know, that just makes me want to work
17:29 even harder and stuff.
17:30 And, you know, I'm going to keep that in the back of the mind
17:32 this year whenever I'm going against these other DBs
17:35 and just know that I'm going to get my payback.
17:38 - And you guys talk about going--
17:40 have you all gone 23 or 24 miles an hour
17:42 or is 22 top down?
17:43 - Not yet.
17:45 - I'm just curious.
17:48 We saw Malachi make a couple of really good throws
17:52 during the two-on-two today.
17:53 What have you seen from the freshman quarterback so far?
17:56 - I'm saying Malachi-- Malachi is really like--
17:59 he's fast, too. He's really fast.
18:01 I wouldn't be surprised if he-- by the time he leaves here
18:03 and goes on to greater things,
18:05 he's going to smack 22 miles an hour probably.
18:07 He also can throw the ball very well.
18:09 He zips it. He knows how to throw it deep,
18:11 throw it right on the money and the bread basket.
18:13 He's going to be a great asset to this team.
18:15 - I would say Malachi's accuracy has gotten a lot better
18:19 just from whenever I first started throwing with him.
18:21 His deep ball was always there,
18:23 but just his intermediate routes,
18:25 I mean, his digs, slants, his--
18:27 his bangs are all on point right now.
18:29 I mean, the timing is there.
18:31 And I just feel like he's going to be
18:33 a really great quarterback.