Puka Nacua is no stranger to making a big play. After all, whenever the BYU Cougars needed a timely reception or someone to shift the momentum, they always looked in the direction of “Big Play Puka.” His 48 catches and 10 touchdowns from scrimmage helped BYU put together a respectable 8-5 season that was capped off with a win in the New Mexico Bowl and resulted in the multi-talented receiver earning an invitation to the Senior Bowl.
“As a receiver, I’ve always been confident in myself and my ability,” Nacua told Rams Wire via phone. “There’s a reason that receivers are who they are and why I wanted to play that position – because I love the competition, but I also have that much belief in my work and my craft.”
Being the go-to weapon for the Cougars wasn’t always the plan, though. At least, not for Nacua. The four-star recruit from Orem High School spent the first two years of his college career at the University of Washington.
“I was incredibly stoked to be at Washington,” Nacua said. “I became really close with my receivers coach, Junior Adams, I loved the area and the campus, my teammates were great. I enjoyed my time in Washington a lot.”
When his junior year came around, though, Nacua’s family was hit with a gut punch, which led to the young receiver making a career-altering choice.
“My grandmother was diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer,” Nacua said. “So at that time, I pretty much decided I needed to be home with my family.”
Nacua returned home to Utah, where his grandmother would pass away shortly after.
“My dad passed when I was young, so I knew what it felt like to lose a parent,” Nacua said. “Knowing how that feels, I knew what my mom was going through, and me and my siblings all just rallied around her.”
Nacua still had two years of school left, and he would be finishing his college career in a place where his football dreams began: Provo, Utah. His hometown, and the site of BYU’s campus.
“There was a creamery and a school bookstore at the end of my street,” Nacua said. “I grew up in BYU’s backyard. It was like a real-life homecoming.”
While his life became somewhat chaotic for a period of time, Nacua said having the opportunity to share the field with his brother – fellow ride receiver, Samson Nacua – was a dream come true.
“We went to different high schools, and he actually beat me the one time we played against each other,” Nacua said. “Being able to play with my brother at that level was a surreal thing. Playing the same position, on the same team, and knowing we were looking out for each other was really dope.”
It didn’t take Nacua long to hit his stride as a Cougar. While he spent his freshman and sophomore seasons in Washington finding his footing, he broke out in his first season with the Cougars, hauling in 43 receptions for 805 yards and six touchdowns. Averaging nearly 19 yards per reception earned him the moniker of “Big Play Puka.”
“Once I figured out the offense and figured out the role I played, I became a target that Jaren [Hall] could trust, and having that mutual trust let me play with more confidence and with a swagger and intensity that I love to play the game with,” he said.
That confidence and intensity led to production, as well as the aforementioned invite to the Senior Bowl. In the leadup to the NFL Draft, Nacua began training with former NFL receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh.
“T.J. is the best,” Nacua said about the former Bengal. “Having a guy who played in the league for 10-plus years, who has the knowledge he has and who had such a good routine planned out. He’s the absolute best. Working out with Michael Wilson from Stanford, as well, Mike is incredible and is going to be great at the next level. So putting in the work with both of them was a great part of this process.
Nacua wasn’t the only BYU player to be in Mobile for the Senior Bowl. His quarterback joined him.
“Jaren’s the man,” Nacua said of his college quarterback. “Calm, cool, collected, all that stuff. He has those dad vibes in him because he has a kid, so he’s got a different level of maturity that you don’t see in most guys. He’s never panicked, he’s just always calm. So being in an environment of practice being fast-paced, the new stuff everyone’s having to learn, when guys didn’t know what they were doing, they turned to him as the quarterback to just get them set and ready to go. It was just cool seeing him work in those moments, and getting the opportunity to show the NFL world what each of us are capable of.”
Nacua’s journey to the NFL wasn’t typical. It featured several pivots and personal hardships. For Nacua, though, the transfer to BYU wasn’t just a return home, a massive leap in production, or an opportunity to prove himself to NFL scouts. It was a continuation of a family legacy.
“All three of my older brothers played at BYU,” Nacua said. “My brother, Kai, spent some time in the league as a defensive back. Then there is Isaiah, who played on the defensive line, but he actually had an injury that ended his football career. Then Samson. And then there’s me.”
And then there’s him. The dual-threat, versatile, tough-nosed receiver who is expected to be an instant difference-maker in a Rams offense that is yearning for a new star. After being selected in the fifth round of the NFL draft, some Rams fans have coined a new nickname for Nacua: “Discount Deebo.” Could the rookie be the Swiss Army knife Sean McVay’s been looking for? Time will tell.
