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When Puka Nacua transferred to BYU from Washington for his final year two years of college in 2021, he broke out as a top receiver in the country. Nacua earned multiple accolades across his final two seasons, before becoming Second Team NFL All-Pro as a rookie in 2023 for the Los Angeles Rams.
Here’s more on Nacua’s college career.
The vitals on Puka Nacua
School:Â Washington & BYU
Position: Wide receiver
Height: 6-2
Weight: 205 pounds
Years active: 2019-2022
Here are Puka Nacua’s career stats in college.
School
YEAR
GAMES
REc
Rec Yds
YPC
Rec TD
Washington
2019
8
7
168
24.0
2
Washington
2020
3
9
151
16.8
1
BYU
2021
12
43
805
18.7
6
BYU
2022
9
48
625
13
5
Â
Career
32
107
1,749
16.3
14
The Florida weather made us wait for it but boy was it worth it for BYU fans as Puka Nacua takes it 75 yards to the house for a Cougars lead…
pic.twitter.com/zHfJgxWdnW
— Pro Football Network (@PFN365) September 3, 2022
Where did Puka Nacua go to college?
Puka Nacua, a native of Orem, Utah, attended Washington and BYU. Out of high school, he signed with Washington over a litany of offers that included Oregon, Southern California and more, per 247Sports.
In 2021, Nacua transfered to BYU where his older brothers Isaiah, Kai and Samson Nacua played prior.
What kind of prospect was Puka Nacua in high school?
Nacua was a four-star wide receiver at Orem High School in Orem, Utah. He was a top-10 wide receiver in the country, depending on the recruiting service, and No. 1 overall player in Utah in the class of 2019.
Nacua was 2018’s Utah Gatorade Player of the Year en route to MaxPreps.com and USA Today First-Team All-American honors. He broke Utah state records for career receptions (260), yards (5,226) and receiving touchdowns (58) and set single-season state records as a senior with 103 catches for 2,336 yards and 26 touchdowns. He led Orem to the 2018 Utah 4A state championship and after the season won the offensive MVP of the 2019 Polynesian Bowl.
Orem 40, Century 0 with 9:19 left in 2Q. Puka Nacua with the 62-yard TD. #idpreps pic.twitter.com/pXCVjVGOf9
— Michael Guise (@Michael_Guise) August 25, 2018
Which awards did Puka Nacua win in college?
Here are the awards and honors Nacua won in college:
Phil Steele All-Independent First Team (2021, 2022)
College Football Network All-Independent Wide Receiver of the Year (2022)
College Football Network All-Independent First Team (2022)
Pro Football Network Independent Wide Receiver of the Year (2021)
Pro Football Network First Team All-Independent Offense (2021)
Pro Football Network Independent Newcomer of the Year (2021).
Puka Nacua makes the game winning catch to give BYU a 31-28 win over Boise State
— WestCoastCFB (@WestCoastCFB) November 6, 2022
Stan Becton joined NCAA.com in 2021 and has since served as a college football, FCS football, track and field, cross country and HBCU beat reporter. He has covered numerous NCAA championship events, including the FCS Championship, DI Track & Field Championships and Men’s Frozen Four. Additionally, he has covered the College Football Playoff and HBCU sporting events like the Celebration Bowl, MEAC/SWAC Challenge and Legacy Classic. Stan graduated from Carnegie Mellon University, earning a degree in Professional Writing and playing football as a five-year letterman. You can follow him on Twitter @stan_becton.
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