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Honors & Awards
» Academic All-Big Ten (2023)
» Two-Time Nebraska Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll
» Brook Berringer Citizenship Team (2024)
» Tom Osborne Citizenship Team (2024)
2024 (Senior)
Isaiah Garcia-Castaneda has played in every game this season. Garcia-Castaneda is Nebraska's top punt returner, returning 11 punts for 60 yards.
Against UTEP, Garcia-Castaneda returned three punts for 25 yards. He had two punt returns for 16 yards against Colorado. Garcia-Castaneda had a two-yard punt return against Northern Iowa. He returned three punts for nine yards at Purdue. Garcia-Castaneda had a five-yard punt return at Indiana. He had a three-yard punt return at Ohio State.
2023 (Junior)
Garcia-Castaneda suffered a season-ending injury in the opener at Minnesota.
2022 (Redshirt)
Garcia-Castaneda played in four games in his first season at Nebraska in 2022, utilizing his redshirt season. He caught five passes for 120 yards and one touchdown in his four games. Garcia-Castaneda caught four passes for 120 yards in his debut against Northwestern, including a 58-yard reception and a 32-yard touchdown. His final reception of the season came against No. 6 Oklahoma.
Before Nebraska (Twentynine Palms HS/Saddleback College/New Mexico State)
Garcia-Castaneda joined Nebraska from New Mexico State, where he played two seasons (2020-21) after beginning his career at Saddleback College. Garcia-Castaneda played in 12 games in his two seasons at New Mexico State, catching 42 passes for 639 yards and four touchdowns.
As a sophomore in 2021, he had 37 catches for 578 yards and four touchdowns, including career highs of seven receptions, 106 receiving yards and two touchdowns at San Jose State. New Mexico State did not play in the fall of 2020 due to the pandemic and played only two games in an abbreviated spring 2021 season. In those two games, Garcia-Castaneda caught five passes for 61 yards.
Prior to New Mexico State, Garcia-Castaneda spent his freshman season at Saddleback College in 2019. He caught 56 passes for 953 yards and 13 touchdowns in his only season at Saddleback, catching a touchdown pass in 10 consecutive games en route to all-conference accolades. Garcia-Castaneda played his prep ball for Twentynine Palms High School in California, where he scored 31 touchdowns as a senior while playing wide receiver, running back and quarterback.
Personal
Isaiah was born on Aug. 31, 2001, and he is the son of Mario and Crystal Castaneda. He majored in child, youth and family studies and graduated in August of 2023.