5 Things to Know about new Lions WR Isaac TeSlaa
5 Things to Know about new Lions WR Isaac TeSlaa
The Lions moved up from No. 102 to No. 70, sending both of their third-round picks in 2026 to the Jacksonville Jaguars to select Arkansas wide receiver Isaac TeSlaa. Let's get to know TeSlaa a little bit.
1. Michigan native gets to come back to state in NFL
TeSlaa is a Michigan native. He is from Hudsonville, MI, just outside of Grand Rapids, and went to school at Unity Christian. He then went on to Hillsdale College in Michigan, the same school his father played wide receiver at. He'll now get to play in his home state at the professional level.
2. Played quarterback in high school before moving to receiver in college
TeSlaa was a high school quarterback at Unity Christian. The offense was a true Wing-T that didn't use wide receivers. TeSlaa also played safety and returned kicks. When he got to Hillsdale, he moved to wide receiver. He played three seasons at Hillsdale before moving up to Division I and Arkansas.
3. Initially had just one FCS offer
TeSlaa always had a tall mountain to climb on his road to the NFL, starting with being a zero-star recruit in high school. Being a Wing-T quarterback makes it difficult to have much extensive film for colleges. He initially received just one Division I offer from Valparaiso, an FCS school. He ultimately chose Hillsdale to start and built himself up to get to a spot where he could go Division I. That included an All-American season in 2022.
4. Graduated Summa Cum Laude
Not only was TeSlaa an excellent athlete in high school (football, track), he was an excellent student. Top-notch, in fact. He graduated Summa Cum Laude with a 4.0 GPA.
5. Played through broken hand during All-American season in 2022
TeSlaa was named an Honorable Mention All-American as well as First-Team All-GMAC (Great Midwest Athletic Conference) and Conference Offensive Player of the Year during his final season at Hillsdale in 2022. He caught 68 passes for 1,325 yards and 13 touchdowns that season. He did that all with a broken hand.
Imagine catching footballs at a high speed, and the most important part of your body is far from 100 percent. TeSlaa did just that. Kudos to him on that.
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