Puka Nacua

Wide receiver Puka Nacua was selected by the Los Angeles Rams in the fifth round (177th overall) of the 2023 NFL Draft.

Puka Nacua was selected by the Los Angeles Rams in the fifth round (177th overall) of the 2023 NFL Draft.

NFL Career:

• Has appeared in 17 regular season games (all starts) and recorded 105 catches for 1,486 yards and six touchdowns
• Set the record for most receptions and receiving yards by a rookie in a single season in NFL history.
• Has also appeared in one postseason contest and recorded 9 catches for 181 receiving yards and one touchdown. He set a rookie record for most receiving yards in a playoff game as well as the most in franchise history in a Wild Card game.
• Earned Second-Team All-Pro honors and a Pro Bowl nod following his rookie campaign in '23. Was also named to the PFWA All-Rookie team.
• Was a four-time Pepsi Rookie of the Week winner his rookie season. Was named Offensive Rookie of the Month for December/January.
• Broke the NFL's single-game record for receptions by a rookie and set an overall league mark with 25 catches in the first two games of his career.
• Became the first rookie in NFL history with at least 10 catches and 100 receiving yards in each of his first two career games.
• Became the fourth player in NFL history with at least 10 catches and 100 receiving yards in each of his team's first two games of a season.
• From 2002-23, he ranks second in most receptions by a receiver in the first two games of a season.
• Had the most receptions by a rookie in Rams franchise history in his first two games (25).
• His 266 receiving yards were the second-most by any pass catcher through two career games in NFL history, trailing only Anquan Boldin's 279 in 2003.
• After Week 4 of his rookie season, Nacua had 39 receptions, which is the most in a player's first four career games in NFL history, along with 501 receiving yards, which is the most in a player's first four career games in NFL history.
• Eclipsed 100 receiving yards in three of his first four games, making him the second player in NFL history with 100+ receiving yards in three of his first four games.
• With 39 receptions, he surpassed Anquan Boldin and his 30 receptions in 2003 for the most receptions ever by a player in their first four NFL games. He also passed Reggie Bush, who had 24 catches in 2006, for the most receptions by a player in their first five NFL games.
• Recorded the most receiving yards in a rookie debut in Rams history. Became the second player drafted in the fifth round of later with 100+ receiving yards in his NFL debut.
• Became the first rookie in his NFL debut to have 100+ receiving yards league wide since Ja'Marr Chase in 2021 and the first rookis to have 10 catches in his debut league wide since 1948.

College: Nacua appeared in 21 games (14 starts) during his time at BYU from 2021-22 and registered seven games with more than 100 receiving yards. He caught 91 passes for 1,430 yards and 11 touchdowns during his time at BYU and led the Cougars in both years, despite battling injuries in 2022. His final season at BYU, he notched 48 receptions for 625 yards and five touchdowns. He averaged 13-yards per reception and 69.4 yards per game. He finished the year with 834 all-purpose yards and 10 touchdowns in nine games. In 2021, he hauled in 43 passes for 805 yards, six touchdowns, and averaged 18.7 yards receptions. He also contributed to the rushing attack at BYU, with 39 carries for 357 yards and five rushing touchdowns. Nacua was the recipient of numerous awards for his on-field performance, including Phil Steele All-Independent First-Team (2021, 2022), College Footall Network All-Independent Wide Receiver of the year and All-Independent First-Team (2022), Pro Football Network Independent Receiver of the Year, First-Team All-Independent Offense and Independent Newcomer of the Year (2021). Before transferring to BYU, he spent time at Washington in 2019 and 2020 where he appeared in 11 games and notched 16 catches for 319 yards and three touchdowns.

Personal: Nacua played at Orem High School where he was a MaxPreps.com and USA Today First-Team All-America in 2018. He was the 2018 Utah Gatorade Player of the Year, USA Today's All-Utah Offensive Player of the Year, and Utah's "Mr. Football" according to Deseret News. Nacua broke the Utah state records for career receptions (260), yards (5,226) and receiving touchdowns (58). As a senior, he caught 103 passes for 2,336 yards and 26 touchdowns, setting single-season state records in all three categories. Nacua scored a receiving touchdown in every game his senior year and led the Tigers to a 12-2 overall record and the 4A state championship. As a junior in 2017, he notched 87 catches for 1,692 yards and 24 touchdowns, earning First-Team 4A all-state honors from the Salt Lake Tribune. That season he helped lead the Tigers to a 12-2 record and the 4A state title. Nacua was also a standout basketball player at Orem High School, earning SecondTeam all-state as a junior as voted on by the coaches.