Puka Nacua Excited For Brother Tei Nacua To Begin BYU Career
Jul 23, 2024, 11:01 AM
OREM, Utah – Puka Nacua, Kai Nacua, and Samson Nacua were all standout players for BYU football.
The good news for BYU head coach Kalani Sitake is that another Nacua is coming.
Tei Nacua, younger brother to Kai, Puka, and Samson, will be part of the BYU football program this season.
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Nacua committed and signed with BYU last December after an impactful senior year at Timpview High School. The 6-foot-2, 180-pound freshman had 66 receptions for 974 yards and nine touchdowns last season.
Tei Nacua is set to begin his freshman year at BYU
One of his best performances was in the Utah High School Playoffs last November against Olympus, where he finished with 13 catches for 195 yards and a touchdown.
But unlike Puka, Kai, or even Isaiah Nacua, Tei’s recruitment didn’t take off with a wave of scholarship offers as those guys experienced. His recruitment was closer to Samson as an under-the-radar prospect.
It’s fitting that Tei will wear the same number 45 as Samson did in his one season at BYU in 2021.
Still, Nacua is expected as a freshman to factor into a wide receiver unit that Passing Game Coordinator Fesi Sitake views as the deepest group he’s had since he joined the staff in 2018.
Puka Nacua describes younger brother Tei
Puka Nacua, who is gearing up for his second season with the Los Angeles Rams after a record-setting rookie campaign, plans to watch Tei and BYU football this fall.
“I’m excited to see the Cougs always rocking and it’ll be a good year for them,” said Puka Nacua. “They got the juice ramped up and my little brother is going to be on the team, so I’ll be watching every game, obviously, as an alum, but also to watch my brother as a fan.”
How would Puka describe Tei?
“He’s a goofball, the baby of us. So there’s a little bit of that Chihuahua. That’s the dog I would give him,” said Nacua. “But I’m excited for him to keep learning and keep growing.”
The youngest Nacua will look to add to his family legacy of being an intense competitor as his brothers were before him.
“Everybody always wants to be number one, which drives everybody to work in ways that make you feel like others aren’t. But it’s also a brotherly love. We come from a big family, so to enjoy the people you’re around, invite everybody to feel welcome, and invest in other people. I feel like that’s what the game of football is about and I feel my family does that really well.”
BYU football opens up fall camp on July 31.
Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for KSLsports.com and hosts the Cougar Tracks Podcast (SUBSCRIBE) and Cougar Sports Saturday (12–3 p.m.) on KSL Newsradio. Follow Mitch’s coverage of BYU in the Big 12 Conference on X: @Mitch_Harper.