Elijah Sarratt, WR @ Iowa (2025)
Player: Elijah Sarratt - WR, Indiana
Height: 6’2”
Weight: 214 lbs
Opponent: @ Iowa
Season: 2025
Final Stat Line: 7 Catches, 156 Yards, 1 TD
Film Link: Watch on YouTube
Overview
Sarratt’s tape against Iowa blends slot separation with left-side boundary work and yards after the catch value. He wins from the slot on corners and seams, works back to the QB on curls, and shows off his strength by staying up through contact to tack on yards. The closer is a slant he turns into a 50-yard touchdown—accelerating through a bad angle and outrunning the pursuit. The lone blemish is an early third-down slant that’s on him hot; tight coverage plus velocity, and he can’t secure it.
Usage / Alignment: Heavy slot left with meaningful wide left reps. Concepts in this game: slant, corner, seam, short curl/slide, 15-yard curl.
Film Review – Key Plays
Play 1) 3:16 1Q, 3rd & 3 - Incomplete (Slant)
Wide left on a slant into tight coverage; the ball arrives hot, and he’s not able to bring it in. I’m not sure if this is on Sarratt or his QB, but it’s one to file away and remember if we see concentration issues in the future. It’s his only “blemish” - if you can even call it that - in this game, so nothing I’m concerned about at the moment.
2) 0:11 2Q, 1st & 10 - 15 Yard Catch
Slot left on a corner to the sideline; it’s a good break to get open, secures the catch cleanly, turns upfield, and is forced out. It’s a tidy timing rep—tempo to sell vertical, snap the break, present a big, friendly target—and the immediate turn north tacks on a couple more yards. It’s the process we want to see: spacing, catch, transition, and finish for the 1st down.
3) 11:42 4Q, 2nd & 7 - 30 Yard Catch
Slot left on a seam; the ball is right on him, catch secured, then ~5 more before he’s taken down. On-schedule middle throw answered by strong hands and stride. It shows he can be that reliable interior target: find the lane, stay square to the throw, and turn an intermediate strike into a chunk play.
4) 5:11 4Q, 3rd & 2 - 25 Yard Catch & Run
Slot left; short curl, then slides right to uncover as the play extends. He catches the pass, absorbs an immediate hit, escapes and keeps his balance, then accelerates for ~15 more before getting gang tackled. This is awareness plus play strength: work to get open, protect the ball at contact, and convert a third-and-short into a field-flipping gain with balance and burst after the hit.
5) 1:56 4Q, 2nd & 7 - 25 Yard Catch
Wide left on a 15-yard curl; he comes back to the ball, secures it, turns upfield, and tacks on 5 more. Clean spacing and timing outside—sell vertical to push the cushion, snap back to the ball, strong hands at catch, and immediate turn up field to add free yards. It’s the kind of routine conversion that keeps the drive moving late in the game.
6) 1:36 4Q, 3rd & 10 - 50 Yard TD Catch & Run
Wide left on a slant; he snags it in stride, the corner misses a diving tackle, and Sarratt hits the gas, taking it 40 yards to the end zone. It’s a perfect marriage of route, placement, and YAC—convert third-and-long and turn it into six with runway speed.
Final Thoughts
This is a left-side, slot-featured performance with plenty of yards after the catch and quarterback-friendly looks. Corners/seams from the slot and curls outside show the down-to-down utility, and the late slant-to-TD shows the explosive potential. One early hot-ball slant goes incomplete in tight coverage, but the fourth-quarter stack of plays is the focus here.
Strengths on Display
Slot Separation & Window Feel: Gets open on corners & seams with clean catches and gets immediate upfield.
YAC Through Contact & Angles: Stays up through contact and outruns angles on the slant TD.
Timing Routes Outside: Works back to the ball on curls and adds yards after the catch.
Late-Game Production: Multiple fourth-quarter chain-moving plays plus the 50-yard game winner.
Areas for Improvement
Watch For Drops: Early 3rd-down slant arrives hot; tough catch, but he got his hands on it.
Alignment Variety: All noted reps are left side - both in the slot and out wide. More snaps from right/slot variations would confirm full deployment flexibility.
