| No. 86 – Michigan Panthers | |
|---|---|
| Position: | Wide receiver |
| Personal information | |
| Born: | January 20, 1998 Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S. |
| Height: | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) |
| Weight: | 206 lb (93 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school: | Timpview (Provo, Utah) |
| College: | Utah (2016–2020) BYU (2021) |
| Undrafted: | 2022 |
| Career history | |
| |
| * Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |
| Roster status: | Active |
Samson Lionel Nacua (born January 20, 1998) is an American professional football wide receiver for the Michigan Panthers of the United Football League (UFL). He played college football for the Utah Utes and the BYU Cougars.
Nacua attended high school at Timpview. Coming out of high school, Nacua decided to commit to play college football for the Utah Utes as a walk-on. [1] [2]
In the 2016 season, During the offseason, Nacua earned a scholarship and used the season to redshirt. [3] During Nacua's first collegiate season in 2017, he notched 29 receptions for 294 yards and a touchdown. [4] In the 2018 season, Nacua hauled in 31 receptions for 362 yards and five touchdowns. [5] During the 2019 season, Nacua played in all 14 games for the Utes, totaling 18 receptions for 330 yards and four touchdowns. [6] In the 2020 season, Nacua played in just two games where he made four catches for 29 yards and a touchdown. [7] After the conclusion of the 2020 season, Nacua decided to enter his name into the NCAA transfer portal. [8] [9]
Nacua decided to transfer to play for the BYU Cougars with his brother Puka. [10] [11] In Nacua's final collegiate season in 2021, he played in all 13 games for BYU where he tallied 21 receptions for 329 yards and three touchdowns. [12]
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft 2+7⁄8 in (1.90 m) | 206 lb (93 kg) | 32+1⁄4 in (0.82 m) | 9 in (0.23 m) | 4.52 s | 1.56 s | 2.60 s | 4.40 s | 6.75 s | 32.0 in (0.81 m) | 10 ft 1 in (3.07 m) | 16 reps | |
| All values from Pro Day [13] | ||||||||||||
After not being selected in the 2022 NFL draft, Nacua signed with the Indianapolis Colts as an undrafted free agent. [14] [15] However, Nacua was released by the Colts on August 30, 2022, during final roster cuts. [16] [17]
After being released by the Colts, Nacua signed with the Pittsburgh Maulers of the USFL, where he played in two games. [18] [19]
For the 2024 season, Nacua signed with the Michigan Panthers of the UFL where he notched 11 receptions for 125 yards. [20] [21]
On August 2, 2024, Nacua signed with the New Orleans Saints, returning back to the NFL. [22] [23] He was waived on August 27. [24]
On September 23, 2024, Nacua re-signed with the Michigan Panthers. [25]
Nacua has three brothers who all played football, his two oldest Kai and Isaiah both played for the BYU Cougars, where Kai eventually went on to play in the NFL. His younger brother Puka played college football with him at BYU and is currently a Pro Bowl wide receiver for the Los Angeles Rams. [26] [27]