Recruiting Profile: WR Puka Nacua (Class of 2021)

Puka Nacua is a BYU football signee for the Class of 2021, signing with the Cougs on March 31, 2021.

For us momma?? pic.twitter.com/bYqUmiEOlE
— Puka Nacua (@AsapPuka) March 9, 2021

Nacua is a 6-foot-1 210 pound wide receiver that spent his first two season at the University of Washington. During his freshman season (2019) he played in eight games and had seven receptions for 168 yards and two touchdowns. As a sophomore he played in just three games and had nine receptions for 151 yards and one touchdown.

Nobody was catching Puka ?

2019 All-American Puka Nacua (@AsapPuka) sprints 65-yards for the score. #PurpleReign ☔️ #AllAmericanBowl ?? @adidasFballUS

pic.twitter.com/I8IWM8uUyF
— All-American Bowl (@AABonNBC) November 22, 2020

Nacua prepped at Orem High School (Orem, Utah) where he was a MaxPreps and USA Today first-team All-American in 2018. As a senior he had 103 receptions for 2336 yards and 26 touchdowns (all state records). He also had 12 tackles (four solo), three passes defended, two interceptions, and one 65 yard kickoff returned for a touchdown (MaxPreps). In addition to All-American honors he was named Mr. Football by the Deseret News, was Utah Gatorade Player of the Year, and attained Utah state records for career receptions (260), yards (5,226), and receiving touchdowns (58). Orem won the state title in 2018.

Nacua was also a standout on the basketball team, earning coaches’ second-team all-state honors as a junior.

Nacua was rated 4-stars by 247Sports (0.9404), who had him rated as the no. 1 prospect in Utah, and the no. 24 wide receiver prospect nationally. He had scholarship offers to Arizona, BYU, Cal, Nebraska, Nevada, Vanderbilt, Oregon, UCLA, USC, Utah, Washington, and Washington State, with recruiting interest from Clemson and Stanford (247Sports and Rivals).

Nacua will take advantage of the COVID waiver, and is immediately eligible to suit up for the Cougars. He has three seasons of eligibility remaining.