JuanCarlos Santana: Path To The NFL Draft

By Simon Carroll

Nobody ever said that the NFL Draft process is fair. Not all prospects are born equal, and whilst a privileged few have the luxury of being fought over at the top of the draft, a lot of talent falls through the cracks, hoping for that one chance to set the record straight at the next level.

JuanCarlos Santana’s tape shows electric speed, reliable hands, and unparalleled YAC numbers. His talent is matched only by his work ethic, determination, and a habit of showing up under the brightest lights. Despite that, he has had to fight and scratch to get the exposure necessary for an opportunity of a pro career. The Tulsa wide receiver sat down with Simon Carroll to discuss his path to the NFL Draft:

Texas Football

JuanCarlos Santana is a product of the Texas high school football production line; another high level talent that the Lone Star State has churned out. But his family roots spread both north and south of this footballing hotbed. Ultimately, a relocation meant that JC would attend one of the most famous football high schools in the nation:

“Most of my family is from New York. When my mother was about fifteen, she moved to Houston, where she met my father – who is Colombian. We lived over in the North side of Houston, which wasn’t the best area to grow up. But when I got a little bit older my mom moved me over to Katy; and when she got there all her new friends were like ‘Katy football this, Katy football that – you should put your son in it’. So I started football a little late, about sixth grade – until then it was all soccer. I went to Woodcreek Elementary, which was a feeder school for Katy, but I played running back at the time. Once I got to Katy, I changed over to receiver.”

Santana may have had a delayed introduction to football, but he was confident enough to know what side of the ball he wanted to play on – no matter what others thought he should do:

“The first day I got to Katy, my coach told me I was going to play safety. I told him straight – ‘Coach, I’m a receiver – I like scoring touchdowns!’. He said we’d see about it, but I knew I’d have to prove myself. Katy is known for its defense, and the coaching staff wanted to maintain that. The offense was basic I-formation, ground and pound, clock management. It’s not easy to stand out as a receiver at Katy. But my first practice, I did very well, which helped convince them I should stay there. I never allowed them to change their mind!”

Turning To Tulsa

JC Santana thrived as a pass catcher for the Katy Tigers, receiving all-district honors as a junior before putting up 843 yards and 13 touchdowns as a senior – not bad in a run-heavy offense! Despite only being named a two-star recruit, Santana enjoyed a healthy amount of recruiting interest. Sadly, not from the one place he wanted to go to most:

“I got my offer from Tulsa in my senior year, but I actually had a lot of scholarship offers already, ever since I was a Junior. In fact, Tulsa was the last team to offer me – and I’d never even heard of the place until I went there for a visit. I honestly just fell in love right there and then; I always wanted to play for Houston, but they never offered me. Tulsa was in the same conference, and I was like ‘if I can’t play for UofH, I’m just gonna beat UofH’. And we all saw how that went.”

More on that later – for now, let’s just say Santana made The Cougars regret their ignorance. But it could have all been different had there not been a regime change at a program 1,600 miles north of Katy:

“I had offers from all over. I was actually first committed to Syracuse, but my mom had mixed feelings about it. She really didn’t want me to go back to New York, even though I was really excited for it. But the Syracuse staff got fired, and I basically lost my offer from them. With my recruiting back open, I visited a few places; Boise State, UNLV and a couple of others, but Tulsa was just perfect. The people there made a real impact on me – the senior receivers there were great role models. They told me I could go anywhere, but at Tulsa, you’re away from all the partying – it’s all school and ball. It’s such a small school, but still in the American conference. I knew I had to be here.”

Finding His Feet

Early life at Tulsa wasn’t straightforward for JC Santana, who was redshirted his first year on campus and saw little of the field the season after. As he explains, it wasn’t the destination that was the issue:

“I didn’t play a lot those first two years because of me – nobody else. If I’d have gone somewhere else, I would have dealt with the same situation. I needed to adapt – coming from an i-formation to the spread, it was a whole new world for me. Don’t forget, before Katy I was a running back, so I wasn’t exposed to a lot of different schemes. There was so much new stuff for me to learn, and I don’t mind admitting it took me a while to get it. The coaches saw I had the ability, but they wouldn’t throw me out there when I wasn’t retaining the information – especially when we had talented seniors who were above me on the depth chart.”

Santana is extremely self-aware. This admittance of falling short early in his career makes his conviction of his talents today all the more believable. And as he explains, it all began with buying in and committing himself – and being in the right place to do it:

“Once I started to get on board with things, understand defenses – really just truly learn the game of football, things started going very well for me. Not once did I even consider transferring – my whole mindset was I need to learn here. Coach Monty (Phil Montgomery), my head coach – his offense is phenomenal. There was something special about it. It was the same offense Baylor had when RG3 was there – a scheme that a mobile quarterback can be very successful in. Braylon Braxton showed that at Tulsa in the big games; Ole Miss, Houston, Tulane. I loved it so much I had to be a part of it. And it was a privilege to learn in that system – it taught me a lot for the next level, where teams love to spread.”

Making His Mark

A corner was turned for JC Santana, who worked his way into the rotation for gametime as a sophomore. Thinking outside the box, he identified an opportunity to contribute – by diversifying his game:

“2019 was when I started to contribute. I was a backup on the outside, but I figured that if I could learn inside too, I would have more chance of being the next man up. And that’s how it kinda worked out; if any man went down, I could step in, regardless of their role. I was probably the only receiver on the roster who could play in the slot or on the perimeter. It set me up well for more snaps the next year.”

The growth was well underway. Whilst the rest of the world hibernated through COVID, Santana was on a tear, testing himself against the best the American Athletic Conference could offer:

“2020 was good for me. I got a lot of great one-on-ones, like going up against Sauce Gardner from Cincinnati. All the headbutting we did in those games, it made both me and him a better player. I did damn well against him too – the next year they doubled me! It was one of the best seasons in my life for sure. Tulsa finished ranked, had a few names in the NFL Draft, I had a Hail Mary catch: It really ignited in me a drive to continue to develop, max out my game and become an NFL player myself.”

"I'm A Big Game Player"

Earlier, JC Santana mentioned his desire for revenge against the hometown team that spurned him. And as we’ll later learn, he saved his greatest performance for his final collegiate game. But Houston wasn’t the only program to feel Santana’s wrath; any time the more prestigious programs or spotlight moments came, he produced the goods:

“I’m a big game player. It comes back to making the most of each opportunity – at Katy, I didn’t get the ball often, so I knew I had to make a big play every time they called my name. I used that and brought it over to Tulsa, which really helped me, because in a spread offense there’s a lot of mouths to feed. You might not get targeted as much, so when you do, you gotta make an impact. In the big games, it was cranked up. Against Tulane, the coaches would be like ‘you HAVE to catch this, or we lose’. I thrived in those situations – I didn’t overthink it, just focused on making the reception, and getting what I could after it.

Huge performances against Cincinnati, Tulane and Mississippi State as well as the Cougars are testaments to Santana’s ability to find another gear when it matters. For JC, it was all about testing himself against the best out there – and refusing to come off second best.

“Big teams – those guys are human, just like me. I don’t fear anybody – I see a big name and it’s an opportunity to prove myself. I’ll just go tear them up and prove them all wrong. Any chance like that, I know I’ve gotta make it a moment, because you have to earn the respect of those who decide your destiny. I’ll tell them all now, it’s going to be the same when I get to the next level.”

I ask Santana who the hardest opponent was in his career. He concedes that one guy in particular gave as good as he got:

“Sauce was a tough matchup! He was so big, it wasn’t easy to get around him. But I still got mine. He allowed just nine catches in his entire college career – four of them were me. He was doing his thing too, but I really frustrated him. We’d talk after the game and it was all love, but we both knew we’d been in a battle. Iron was sharpening iron that day for sure.”

Finishing The Job

Despite balling out in 2021, JC Santana knew that his final year with the Golden Hurricanes would be critical for him to realise his dreams of making the NFL. An incredible season saw him cap off his college career with the aforementioned performance against Houston, turning six catches into an astonishing 169 yards and two touchdowns:

“I don’t even know where to start about that final year in Tulsa. So much mental motivation for me to put it all on the line. I knew, this was it for me – I could make something out of it, or just be another guy. That last game against Houston, you could tell it meant everything. I didn’t want it to be the moment I would hang up my pads. Some people, if it wasn’t for the money, would have no problem finishing their career. Not me. I can’t give it up.”

Santana’s desire to keep playing began back in the offseason, where he made a conscious decision to go all out his final year at college:

“The Summer prior, I didn’t go back to Katy. I stayed in Tulsa. Usually you go home, rest and relax. But I knew I had to work for what I wanted. And I just grinded my face off. Every day. A strict regime of practice, recovery, and eating right. Non-stop. A lot of hours went into that final season, and it showed in the stats column; hundred yards this game, hundred yards that game. And I think I could have been used even more – I was putting up these numbers and not once did I have ten catches in a game. Every time that ball was in my hands, I acted like it was my last chance. I loved the spread, but you maybe don’t get fed as much as other schemes, so it’s up to you to maximise every opportunity. I definitely did that.”

Turning Heads

JuanCarlos Santana can leave Tulsa knowing that he did everything he possibly could to continue his career at the next level. 860 yards and 7 touchdown’s from just 53 catches in his final season is a nice line to add to the resume, but maybe isn’t quite as appreciated by others as it should be. Santana certainly has approached this pre-draft process with a chip on his shoulder, but was grateful for the opportunity to sell himself at one of the all-star bowl games:

“I went to the College Gridiron Showcase, and it was really great for me to get some exposure. There was a lot of guys from different schools down there, just like any other bowl game. Every scout was down there, and I did really well in front of them. It was great to speak to NFL teams, because I need that recognition – even after the Houston game, where I stole the show ahead of two Biletnikoff Award finalists in Keylon Stokes and Tank Dell, I don’t feel like I’ve got the same limelight. So to earn some respect from those guys at the CGS was an amazing opportunity, and I’m pleased with how I portrayed myself. They need to know I can play this game as well as any of these other guys – and I can run faster than them all too.”

One look at Santana’s Tulsa tape backs up this statement. Explosive doesn’t adequately describe the receiver’s ease at which he blows by press coverage at the line of scrimmage. But that doesn’t mean he’s resting on his laurels – Santana is ready to remind scouts just how athletic he can be:

“The CGS brought some extra light into my draft process, and I know there’s going to be some interest at my pro day now. If they haven’t got the message from the tape, they’re gonna see my speed live and in person. Everyone loves a receiver who can get out fast, this new wave of pass catchers in the NFL like Tyreek Hill. I’ve been working on my conditioning and my forty time, just chopping those ticks down each session. I’m shooting for a 4.2, but would be happy with a 4.3. Hopefully that sets some tongues wagging, and they go back and watch the film. I’m quick, but not just a speed guy. I can match up with the bigger corners, and I’m looking at between 15 and 20 reps on the bench press. I’m determined to open some eyes – all I need is one chance.”

Big Ambitions

As the interview winds down I discuss with JC Santana some childhood teams he followed, some quarterbacks he’d love to work with. The passion for the game is so obvious, you can almost feel the burning desire of his to elongate his football career at all costs. Whilst Santana has never been afraid of hard work, you do get the sense that there is a real disappointment that his perceived ‘draft stock’ doesn’t equate to the talent or the product. Despite that, he knows it takes just one scout to pound the table for a chance to show 31 other franchises what a mistake they made.

But with his mother’s aversion to the Big Apple, what would she say if that ‘one chance’ came from The Giants or Jets?

“Man that would be a dream! She’s just gonna have to deal with it, that’s what I’ve told her. It’s crazy, because the Jets have shown a lot of interest in me, come to see me at Tulsa a few times and reconnected at the CGS. I’ve got a lot of their scouts’ numbers, and I’ve even joked with my agent about them being the team I want to go to. It feels a little written in the stars, but honestly I’d be over the moon to be wanted by any team. And when I get there, it’s just straight work. I’m not going to make too much of the moment, just keep praying for it and working towards it. I want to repay whoever gives me that shot – I’m determined to be a complete steal. Hard work and playing lights out is all I know. I enjoy the grind and proving people wrong. I’m as good as anyone out there. I won’t be happy until my bust is in the Hall of Fame.”

Mock Draft

SIMON CARROLL

HEAD OF CFB/NFL DRAFT CONTENT

PREVIOUSLY THE FOUNDER OF NFL DRAFT UK, SIMON HAS BEEN COVERING COLLEGE FOOTBALL AND THE NFL DRAFT SINCE 2009. BASED IN MANCHESTER, SIMON IS ALSO CO-CREATOR & WEEKLY GUEST OF THE COLLAPSING POCKET PODCAST.

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A huge thank you to JC for taking the time to talk to us. Everyone at The Touchdown wishes him well in his future career.