Nacua Cites 'Family Issues' for Leaving UW Program
After some of the shock had worn off a day later, University of Washington wide receiver Puka Nacua on Monday said he was leaving the program for family reasons in an interview with KJR radio.
Yet the 6-foot-1, 210-pound junior, a Husky starter for six games over two seasons, offered only that he needed to be home, presumably in Provo, Utah, which houses BYU.
Earlier in the day, Nacua posted a farewell message on Twitter, thanking everyone who had something to do with facilitating his stay at the UW.
"This is not how I wanted this to go," he said on the radio.
On Sunday, Nacua changed the information on his social-media accounts to something vague and removed all Husky references, and confirmed to inquiring reporters that he was leaving.
Nacua became the third UW receiver to leave since the season ended, joining senior Ty Jones, a fellow starter, and senior Jordan Chin.
Jones transferred to Fresno State, where he'll catch passes from ex-Husky quarterback Jake Haener, and Chin, a reserve pass-catcher, has switched to Sacramento State.
Nacua played in eight games as a freshman, starting three, but he broke his foot and missed the rest of the season.
Last fall, he started three outings but missed the fourth for pandemic reasons.
He was a highly regarded recruit, a 4-star player, when he signed with Washington, de-committing from USC in the process.
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