Puka Nacua's path to the NFL started in Provo, Utah, where he set state football records for receptions (260), receiving yards (5,226), and receiving touchdowns (58). He was awarded the Utah Gatorade Player of the Year award, and was also named the 2018 Polynesian Bowl High School Player of the Year. He began his college football career at the University of Washington, but his freshman season was cut short by a broken foot. He finished his sophomore season with 19.9 yards per reception on 16 receptions. Eventually, he entered the transfer portal and played closer to home at BYU.
Nacua's knack for big plays continued at BYU in 2021. He finished second in receptions on the team, but had almost 300 more yards receiving (805) and scored six touchdowns. Nacua also showed versatility by adding 148 yards on the ground and averaging 10.6 yards per carry. In his final college season in 2022, Nacua led the team in receptions (48) and receiving yards (625), while scoring five touchdowns. He added an additional 209 yards and five touchdowns on 25 carries. Nacua was unimpressive in his athletic testing as a prospect. He finished in the bottom 10-percent of wide receivers in Agility Score. His Burst Score and Catch Radius landed him in the bottom 25-percent.
Nacua was drafted by the Los Angeles Rams in the fifth round of the 2023 NFL Draft, and went on to record one of the best rookie seasons in NFL history. As Cooper Kupp battled injuries, the rookie became Matthew Stafford's favorite target, compiling 1,486 yards receiving (639 YAC, No. 5) and six touchdowns. He finished as the WR6 with 17.6 FPPG.
