Isaac TeSlaa makes a one-handed catch. Courtesy | Anthony Lupi

After graduating from the University of Arkansas this December, former Hillsdale football player Isaac TeSlaa will begin training for the NFL draft.

If he earns a spot on a professional roster, TeSlaa will join the short list of Chargers to make it to the biggest stage in football, alongside names like Chester Marcol ’82, a kicker, and Jared Veldheer ’10, an offensive lineman. In many ways, Hillsdale College prepared him to do this, according to TeSlaa, from teaching him how to balance academics, sports, and a social life to giving him the necessary experience in his current position as a wide receiver. 

“I don’t know if I could have made the jump from high school to the SEC, so Hillsdale was a great opportunity for me to get playing time and experience at the collegiate level,” TeSlaa said.  “I played quarterback all throughout high school so my time at Hillsdale was great for me to learn all about the position and get on the field experience as well.”

TeSlaa arrived at Hillsdale College in the fall of 2020 and eventually earned a starting spot on the football team as a true freshman. His breakout season came the following year, when he led the Chargers in receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns en route to claiming the title of Outstanding Offensive Back for the 2021 Charger squad. 

He continued to impress during the 2022 season with a stat line of 68 receptions for 1,325 yards and 13 touchdowns. Over the course of this season, he recorded seven games of 100 receiving yards or more and earned honors as the Great Midwestern Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Year and team MVP, in addition to an All-American Honorable Mention. 

“As an athlete, he has all the tangibles: size, speed, and strength,” said Logan VanEnkevort, a senior wide receiver for the Chargers. “He is truly a very well-rounded athlete who has the capabilities of playing with the best. He is also just a great guy, a good friend who’s strong in his faith and fun to be around. He was a guy that younger players could look up to.”

Following the 2022 season, TeSlaa transferred to the University of Arkansas Razorbacks in time to participate in spring training with the Division I program. 

His sister, Josie TeSlaa, who is a junior on the Hillsdale volleyball team, said she was taken aback the first time he told her he was considering a transfer.

“I knew he was a great athlete but I forgot about the possibility that he could compete at such a high level,” Josie said. “I feel like such a proud sister seeing how he performs so well and uses this opportunity to show God’s love to others.”

During his first year with the Razorbacks, TeSlaa started in every game and racked up 34 receptions for 351 yards and two touchdowns. 

“Overall, I felt pretty good about my first season at Arkansas,” TeSlaa said. “It was a bit of a tough year production-wise for both myself and the team as a whole, but considering it was my first year playing in the SEC after playing DII for the three years prior, I felt pretty good about my production and just grateful to be able to play football at the highest level.”

With one year of eligibility left, there is a lot riding on the current season, according to TeSlaa, who said he is excited to both prove himself and prove that Arkansas is a threat. 

“I think most importantly, just going out and practicing and playing at the SEC level has led me to improve all areas of my game,” TeSlaa said. “At this level, everyone is bigger, faster, stronger, and if you want to compete, you have to continually improve all those areas if you want to have success on Saturdays.” 

In the 2024 season opener, TeSlaa recorded three receptions for a team-high 53 yards on the way to a 70-0 blowout victory over the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff Golden Lions. 

“I think it’s fantastic to see him doing well at a DI school,” VanEnkevort said. “Not only am I super happy for him, but I also think it’s a great selling point for Hillsdale football. The fact that we can say we have the capability to develop players that could compete in the SEC is something to be proud of.”

The Razorbacks have since won two of their last three games, with the first and only loss of the season coming at the hands of 16th-ranked Oklahoma State University in a close 39-31 matchup that made it to double overtime. 

TeSlaa now sits at four receptions for 85 yards on the season.

Josie said she keeps up with her brother, watching every game if she is not also playing and, even then, watching the highlights on YouTube afterward. 

“From my perspective, everything is just bumped up a level,” Josie said. “There are more fans, more interviews, more social media shoots, a larger summer commitment, and, I would guess, more intense practices.”

But even with her brother’s recent success, Josie said she knows he would not trade his time at Hillsdale and the valuable lessons he learned there for anything.

“I think this is the extra challenge he needed in order to continue rising up to meet his goal of making it to the NFL,” Josie said. “It has definitely been physically challenging for him, but he has always loved to be pushed hard to display his competitiveness and hard work ethic.”