Courtesy: Detroit Lions
Former Hillsdale College football player Isaac TeSlaa turned heads on the Lions, in the NFL, and among many fans this season as a rookie wide receiver for the Detroit Lions, gaining a reputation as a reliable red zone threat and a highlight-producing machine.
Despite limited action on offense, TeSlaa finished his rookie season with 16 receptions, 239 receiving yards, and six touchdowns — more end zone appearances than veterans such as Travis Kelce or DeVonta Smith.
Senior Josie TeSlaa said her brother Isaac’s developing pro career has been a dream come true for both him and the entire TeSlaa family.
“At every game I find myself tearing up from how proud I am of him and to be his sister,” Josie TeSlaa said. “I just know he is going to have a successful career not only from his raw talent, but because of his work ethic and integrity in every area of his life.”
TeSlaa played wide receiver for the Hillsdale Chargers for three seasons, from 2020–2022, before transferring to the University of Arkansas for two more seasons.
During the 2025 NFL draft, the Detroit Lions gave away two future third round picks as part of a trade to draft TeSlaa at No. 70 overall — a decision criticized as risky by many football analysts at the time.
In the preseason, TeSlaa snagged a touchdown in all three games and finished with 10 catches for 146 receiving yards. Every catch but one resulted in a first down or a touchdown. Thanks to TeSlaa’s performance, the Lions traded away veteran receiver Tim Patrick to make room for TeSlaa on the final team roster.
TeSlaa initially attracted major attention in the first week of the regular season with a one-handed touchdown grab in garbage time during a loss to the Green Bay Packers. The touchdown, which was also TeSlaa’s first regular season reception, went viral on social media.
The very next week, TeSlaa made another internet splash in a blowout win over the Chicago Bears with another astounding one-handed catch for 29 yards, this time just shy of the end zone.
Dave Portnoy, the founder of media company Barstool Sports, posted afterward on social media: “So this TeSlaa dude is just gonna have the catch of the year every week. Who the hell is this guy?” His post currently has nearly 2 million views.
Lions quarterback Jared Goff said on a sports podcast that TeSlaa’s first catches have “got to be the best first two catches in NFL history,” and that “the sky’s the limit for that kid.”
Despite TeSlaa’s eye-catching start to the season in his first two games, his involvement with the Lions’ offense was kept to a minimum for the next nine weeks — with an average of fewer than one target per game — not unusual for an NFL team with more experienced receivers facing a competitive season.
When fellow wide receiver Kalif Raymond went down with an injury in late November, TeSlaa’s role with the offense increased, and he posted back-to-back games with multiple receptions and a touchdown apiece, starting with a close Thanksgiving Day loss to the Packers.
TeSlaa’s most productive game of the season came in a hotly-contested loss against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Dec. 21. TeSlaa finished the game with 52 receiving yards and a touchdown that came in the second quarter on a 20-yard pass. But a penalty on him also negated a potential go-ahead score.
The following week, TeSlaa caught three passes for 49 yards and another touchdown in a loss that saw the Lions eliminated from postseason contention.
Dan Campbell, head coach of the Lions, said in a Jan. 2 press conference that the former Charger has grown the most compared to the other rookie players.
“He’s smart, he’s instinctive, he’s tough, he’s a finisher, he’s resilient,” Campbell said. “Every week, we’ve been able to put more and more on him.”
