JuanCarlos Santana joined Tulsa as a member of their 2017 recruiting class. He redshirted his freshman season and did not put up any statistics in 2018, while making two appearances. Santana finished fifth on the team in receptions (19) and receiving yards (233) in 2019. As a junior in 2020, he finished second on the team in receivng (544 yards) while averaging 16.0 yards per reception.
With teammate and current 2023 NFL Draft class member Keylon Stokes limited to four games in 2021, Santana finished second on the team in receptions (51) and receiving yards (689), behind Josh Johnson's massive 83-1114-6 stat line. In 2022, Santana again took a backseat in the receiving pecking order (53-869-7) behind the returning Stokes. His 2022 season marks were all in the top-10 in the American Athletic Conference.
