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Grad transfer WR Noa finds right fit at Nebraska

When wide receiver Kanawai Noa decided to become a graduate transfer finding the right fit was of the utmost importance. He believes he found that at Nebraska.

After having a breakout sophomore season at Cal which saw him reel in 56 receptions for 788 yards and four touchdowns he had big expectations heading into his junior year. However, injuries caused him to miss five games last fall which cut his productivity nearly in half.

“I got injured last year and I missed five games," Noa said. "It was a tough season, but that’s the way it goes. You’re never going to be 100 percent when you play football.”

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Cal graduate transfer WR Kanawai Noa has reportedly been very impressive since arriving in Lincoln.
Cal graduate transfer WR Kanawai Noa has reportedly been very impressive since arriving in Lincoln. (Nate Clouse)

The 6-foot, 200-pound Noa decided to put his name in the transfer portal last spring and despite having 96 career catches for 1,267 yards and six touchdowns there was not a ton of action on the recruiting front until Nebraska came calling.

"It was pretty much what I expected," Noa said in regard to the amount of options he had on the table after deciding to transfer. "I had an off year last year, I missed five games so it’s all questions. Can I play a full season? Am I healthy enough? That’s a lot of questions that coaches have."

Despite knowing new Huskers defensive line coach and former Cal assistant Tony Tuioti very well, it was NU graduate assistant Steve Cooper who initially caught wind of Noa's transfer as he coached the native Hawaiian's brother, Kalua Noa, at Portland State.

“Coach Steve Cooper, he coached my brother back in Portland State so I guess he caught wind of my transfer and he immediately reached out to me and that’s how it all started," Noa explained. "[Tuioti] didn’t reach out until he realized, ‘Ok, they’re actually going for him.’ Then he gave me a call.”

That led to a visit which ultimately sealed the deal for Noa as he felt like Nebraska's offense and coaching staff were a perfect fit for his strengths as a player.

“My strengths are definitely finding, exploiting the defensive coverage," Noa said. "My post-snap read is probably my best attribute and being able to find space. What works really well with our offense is it’s all read-option so I’m making decisions on the fly based on the defensive coverage.

"I’m a quiet dude and coach [Scott] Frost is a super family, religious, I think he is a very quiet dude. He’s not an obnoxious, all out there type of coach. He’s going to be like 'Hey this is what you’ve got to do, let's to this right.' Immediately when I came on my visit, I felt at home. It was so easy to connect with the coaches and they were very welcoming."

Noa says he's studied the playbook and watched film 24/7 in order to help the team out in any way he can this fall.
Noa says he's studied the playbook and watched film 24/7 in order to help the team out in any way he can this fall. (Nate Clouse)

Another important aspect that went into Noa's decision to transfer to Nebraska was its quarterback, Adrian Martinez, whom he thinks an awful lot about already.

In fact, Noa had no problem comparing Martinez to his former Cal teammate and current L.A. Rams quarterback Jared Goff.

“It was a very big decision," Noa said about picking Nebraska. "After my first go-around [with recruiting], coming from high school, so wherever I saw a spread offense I’d go. But my second rodeo, it’s all about business from the quarterback, the type of OC, the offensive scheme, and it’s all pretty much fluent from last year so it was an easy pick for me.

"[Martinez] has the same arm strength as Goff, but I think that the difference is that he is very mobile so he can make a lot of plays outside of the pocket, that’s probably the biggest difference between Goff and Martinez. That’s a huge attribute to have, being able to make something out of nothing.

Conversely, Martinez has spoken highly of Noa and the impression he has made on the team having come in and learned all three wide receiver positions over the summer.

“He’s really good," Martinez said about Noa at Big Ten Media Days. "He’s a really smart player, which is something I can appreciate. He already knows how to play all the receiver spots and he’s real reliable. He runs solid routes, catches the ball and he’s already left an impression, a strong impression, on all of the quarterbacks.”

While Noa certainly has big expectations for himself in his final collegiate season, he's also not taking anything for granted or expecting anything to be given to him.

“We’ll see, wherever coach puts me," Noa said when asked where he expects to play this season. "Whatever I’ve got to do to contribute to the team. I’m just here for a bit of experience and to contribute in whatever way I can.”

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