Dennis Tuaone Is Chasing Puka Nacua’s Historic 2018 Season

This article recaps a segment from The Rush's Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2026 episode. Watch the full show.

Utah high school football has a few records that seem untouchable. One of them is Puka Nacua's 2018 receiving season at Orem. This fall, Timpview's Dennis Tuaone is on a similar pace.

Through seven games:

• Catches: Nacua 55, Tuaone 52

• Yards: Nacua 1,254, Tuaone 1,010

• Touchdowns: Nacua 14, Tuaone 9

• Yards per catch: Nacua 22.8, Tuaone 19.4

The catch for anyone chasing Nacua is games played. Orem won the state title in 2018, so Nacua got 14 games. Timpview is a real contender in 5A, so a deep playoff run is possible.

If Tuaone plays 14 games, he's on pace for 104 catches, one more than Nacua's 2018 total. He's also on pace for just over 2,000 yards, about 316 short of Nacua, and 18 touchdowns, compared with Nacua's 26.

Even short of every record, that would put Tuaone second all-time in several categories, a historic year for the Thunderbirds.

Tuaone wins both ways. He can beat defenders deep, but many of his big plays start as short throws that nobody can catch from behind. Like Nacua, he can also go up and take the ball away from defenders, which is why colleges across the country are watching him.

The Rush's editorial is brought to you by Colorado Northwestern Community College.