It's the third week of the 2019 season, and Louisiana Tech has fallen behind 7-0 on the road to the Bowling Green Falcons. After grinding out a 20-14 victory over Grambling a week prior, Bulldogs' fans were still waiting for their explosive offense to click into gear.
 
The ball sat just a yard over midfield on Tech's first possession of the game, and veteran quarterback J'Mar Smith decided to take a shot down the field. Smith rolled to the right, set his feet and fired a missile down the right sideline to a sprinting Isaiah Graham, who made the catch and ran into the end zone for a 49-yard touchdown.
 
Not only did the deep pass knot the game at 7-7, but it also marked Graham's first collegiate touchdown reception. The big play provided a spark to Tech's offense, which scored 35 unanswered points to rout the Falcons 35-7 in Bowling Green, Ohio. Tech's offense carried its momentum from the Bowling Green game over the next six weeks, scoring 42 points or more in five of its next six games.
 
Graham, who began his college career at TCU, earned a redshirt for the 2018 season after sitting out due to NCAA transfer rules. In 2019, the Bastrop, Louisiana native consistently provided Tech's offense with a way to stretch the defense. Graham caught passes of 80, 49, 42, 39, 31 and 21 yards during his redshirt junior season, leading LA Tech in yards per reception with 19 yards per catch.
 
Before Graham, known as "IG" in the LA Tech locker room, found success at Louisiana Tech, he was rated the No. 3 wide receiver prospect out of Louisiana. Graham dominated as a junior at Bastrop High School, hauling in 48 catches for 1,138 yards and 20 touchdowns. The standout performances landed him an offer from TCU, where he played in 19 games and made eight catches for 84 yards over two seasons.
 
Graham formed close bonds at TCU, including with current Philadelphia Eagles' wide receiver Jalen Reagor, who was drafted No. 21 overall in the 2020 NFL Draft. Despite the close bond with his Horned Frog teammate, Graham decided to transfer to another school following his sophomore season.
 
His first (and last) visit on the recruiting trail came in Ruston.
 
"I had a couple of visits set up before visiting Louisiana Tech, so for me I just wanted to find a place that was comfortable for me," Graham said. "Somewhere that felt like home, and coming to Louisiana Tech on my first visit, that felt like home.
 
"I didn't even take another visit after that. I pulled the trigger on the first visit. This feels like home, so this is where I want to be."
 
While redshirting during the 2018 season, Graham grew both on and off the field in his first year in Ruston. IG played on the scout team in his first year, helping former Bulldog defensive backs L'Jarius Sneed, Amik Robertson and Michael Sam get prepared for opposing wide receivers each week.
 
Former defensive coordinator Blake Baker and strength and conditioning coach Kurt Hester also pushed Graham on the practice field and in the weight room.
 
"Those guys kept me going, and there were days I might be slacking around, and they'd be like 'bro, you've got to get us better. We've got a game,'" Graham said. "Those guys made it hard for me, but they made me better.
 
"That was the highlight of my year, being down there with those guys and having them make me better."
 
Graham's 21 catches for 398 yards and four touchdowns this past season caught the attention of his teammates, but head coach Skip Holtz sees an even more important role Graham is fulfilling off the field.
 
Aside from being a leader in the locker room, Graham joined Louisiana Tech's Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) in his first year in Ruston. This year he serves as the community service representative for the football team. One project he helped organize was LA Tech Athletics' donation drive for the greater Lake Charles area, which shipped canned goods and supplies to Southern Louisiana after Hurricane Laura barreled through the area in late August.
 
Graham said his favorite community service memory came when visiting children with Down Syndrome. Student-athletes from both Louisiana Tech and Grambling came together to make the event happen.
 
"It was probably the best thing I've done with SAAC," Graham said. "Seeing those kids smile, it just made my day."
 
The redshirt senior also has taken interest in broadcasting. Graham said he grew up watching ESPN's documentary series "30 for 30." His favorite profile came from ESPN's "E:60," which shared Cincinnati Bengals' wide receiver A.J. Green's life story.
 
Graham's hard work and childhood admiration with broadcasting eventually resulted in a degree in communication studies from Louisiana Tech. His hopes are to one day be a football play-by-play broadcaster, preferably at the college level.
 
Overall, Graham's success in the classroom and on the football field have made him a vital voice to Louisiana Tech's football program. A steady stream of leadership that began before him will again be passed down to student-athletes long after he takes his final snap in a Bulldogs' uniform.
 
"You start with the speed and athleticism that he possesses and the success he's had here on the football field, but the biggest role IG has on this football team is his work ethic and his leadership," Holtz said. "He's one of those guys where you want to take your freshmen and say 'follow that guy every day.'
 
"That's one of the biggest legacies he'll leave behind, and that's not to diminish the role that he's played for us on the field and the talent that he has on the field as you talk about his numbers. I have a tremendous amount of respect for him, and I think it's guys like IG that lay the foundation that has given this program the opportunity to be successful year in and year out."
 
Graham is tied for second on the team this season with three touchdown receptions. He has totaled 11 catches for 128 yards in six games played in 2020.