Where did Puka Nacua play college football? Ram's WR playing career explored

Puka Nacua had to wait until the fifth round of the 2023 NFL Draft to get picked. At the time, not many people would have expected much of his NFL career, infact, he probably wouldn’t be expecting much of himself as well. But a couple of months down the line, he’s making a strong case for being the NFL Rookie of the Year.

Many, who may be noticing Nacua for the first time with the Los Angeles Rams, would be wondering where he played in college.

Puka Nacua’s college football playing career began when he enrolled at Washington in 2019. He played for the Huskies in the first eight games as a freshman before his season was interrupted by injury. In the eight games, he caught seven passes for 168 yards and two touchdowns.

His sophomore season was interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic and he could only play in three games before the season was shortened due to the pandemic.

Nacua caught nine passes for 151 yards and one touchdown before the season was cut short. After the season, he entered the transfer portal and moved to BYU.

In his first season for BYU, Puka Nacua compiled 40 receptions for 805 yards and six touchdowns.

How is Puka Nacua making waves in the NFL?

The rookie player was picked in the fifth round of the 2023 NFL Draft as the 177th overall pick by the Los Angeles Rams. He was handed the opportunity to make his debut start for the team against the Seattle Seahawks on Sept. 10, 2023, heading into the game as the underdogs.

The Rams' roster was heavily hit with injuries from the 2022 season and the starting receiver, Cooper Kupp was still recovering. Kupp’s absence made room for Nacua, who made a difference in the game, catching 10 passes for 119 yards as the Rams won the game 30-13.

As if to prove his debut performance wasn’t a fluke, the player caught 15 passes for 147 yards in his second game, breaking the NFL single-game record for catches by a rookie in the process. However the Rams lost the game 30-23 to the San Francisco 49ers.

Nacua broke another rookie record with his 25 catches in his first two games. He surpassed Earl Cooper’s 43-year-old record of 19 catches in his first two games.