Nauta sets high expectations for sophomore season
Isaac Nauta is the youngest contributor in Georgia’s tight ends meeting room, yet he’s treated like he’s one of the oldest.
He endured the learning curve as every other freshman had but his circumstance was unique in terms of being placed into immediate game action, receiving a full workload and being a go-to for his classmate and quarterback Jacob Eason.
It seemed easy for Nauta as the team’s third-leading receiver. He logged his reception in the season opener against North Carolina and finished the season with 361 yards and three scores.
Nauta will openly indicate that his freshman season was far from easy, but he has a contagious confidence that is seen by others and brings him into a more-advanced team role.
“Shoot, we go to him to advice,” said Jeb Blazevich, Georgia’s senior tight end. “I feel like he’s been here forever. He has always been like, ‘This is what I do.’ ”
With the transition phase behind him, Nauta takes it upon himself to amplify his leadership when he lines up aside an offensive tackle on the practice field – regardless of age or experience.
“I can help the other guys on where they need to line up and what they need to do,” Nauta said. “It’s just being a guy that’s talking and holding guys accountable – especially from the leadership group.”
After once running around and receiving advice from any of his veteran teammates, Nauta has shared that in hopes of soon hoisting a trophy — maybe more than one.
Despite a learning curve, Nauta passed every test
Nauta ended his recruitment in January of 2016 by donning a Georgia cap at the U.S. Army All-American Bowl. He then traveled directly to Athens to begin his college career as the nation’s top-rated tight end.
At that moment, Nauta was set to join forces as an early enrollee with the nation’s top-rated pro-style quarterback in Eason. The hype had begun to escalate, but no one knew how the talents of a near 250-pound tight end would translate to the SEC ... until he hit the field.
Nauta was set to shadow under Blazevich as he was an upperclassman and a team leader. Therefore, a keen eye was kept on the newcomer throughout workouts, 7-on-7 drills and then through the G-Day spring game.
Blazevich’s thought of, “All right, this kid is pretty athletic” became a recurring theme.
“It was about seeing what he could do in pads and what he could do in the scrimmage,” he said. “He kept passing every test. We knew he was going to be a star.”
High expectations
Nauta wasted little time to say that no other player has greater expectations than himself — both from a team and individual standpoint.
A number of players are solely focused on the team’s success when prompted a question regarding individual aspirations. Nauta, while prioritizing the success of his collective unit, was a bit different in discussing the future.
“I’m shooting for the Mackey, and that’s been my goal since I got to college,” Nauta said.
The John Mackey Award is an honor that is granted yearly to the nation’s best tight end. The award was first accepted by Purdue’s Tim Stratton in 2000, and no sophomores have been awarded the honor in its 17-year history. Nauta was the only sophomore on the preseason watch list from the SEC.
In addition to the national award, Nauta has an opportunity to become the team’s leading receiver and would be happy to accept that title. Georgia hasn’t had a tight end as its leading receiver since Martrez Millner’s 425 yards led the way in 2006.
It’s a simple task for Nauta conceptually — get open on a route and catch the football when it’s thrown to you.
Charlie Woerner envisions it taking place and potentially watching him accept that honor when his second season comes to an end.
“I see him to blow his last year out of the water,” Woerner said.
This story was originally published August 17, 2017 at 7:25 PM with the headline "Nauta sets high expectations for sophomore season."