Getting humbled was the best thing that happened to Nauta

Isaac Nauta is ashamed to admit it, but he had to be taken down a peg shortly after he arrived at Georgia as an early enrollee last January.

A former five-star performer, Nauta thought he was ready to jump right in with the rest of the big boys, only to learn they were a little bigger and better than he first thought.

“Coming out of high school I was excited and thought I was ready to go, but I got humbled pretty quick,” Nauta said Monday. “Here, there are so many guys stronger, faster and better than you are, so it was good to get humbled and learn how to work. Ever since then, I’ve tried to take those lessons and play as hard as I can.”

The results have been impressive.

In Georgia’s 12 regular season games, Nauta comes into the matchup against TCU in the Liberty Bowl with 27 catches for 353 yards and three touchdowns.

But he’s far from satisfied.

“I can improve in all aspects. Coming out of high school I thought blocking was one of my better qualities, but I learned quick that I needed to put more time in the weight room and keep improving to get better at it,” said Nauta, who added he’s comfortable with his weight of 250 pounds.

“I just need to keep working,” he continued. “There’s always hand placement, footwork, all sorts of different things I can do.”

Nauta said his first season as a collegian has certainly been an interesting one.

Take Georgia’s game against Tennessee, for example.

Although Nauta fondly recalls his first college touchdown, a 50-yard catch from Jacob Eason, getting to block Vol defensive end Derek Barnett stands out to him the most.

“That’s a pretty good player right there, so getting the chance to go against him to see how I match up against a first round pick was a big moment for me,” Nauta said. “There was also my first pass at the Georgia Dome – I dropped it. I wish I had that one back.”

Otherwise, there haven’t been too many complaints.

Nauta’s efforts have not gone unrecognized, including his earning a spot on the SEC All-Freshman Team, along with a smattering of freshman All-American squads.

“That was something I wanted to accomplish. Coming in, I had the goal of playing early, making plays for this team and helping this team win,” Nauta said. “I’ve had a chance to learn from other players like Jeb (Blazevich) and Jackson (Harris), guys who have been here before me. I’m excited for the accolades but I want to keep performing from here.”