CHICAGO – Head coach Scott Frost has never even seen Kanawai Noa catch a football in a Nebraska uniform yet, but he’s heard more than enough to be excited about his newest weapon at wide receiver.
The Huskers weren’t necessarily in the market for a graduate transfer wide receiver this offseason, but when word got out that the 6-foot, 200-pound senior out of Cal was going back on the market, they immediately reached out.
Since Noa committed in May and arrived in Lincoln for the start of summer workouts, the former three-star prospect out of Honolulu (HI) Punahou has done nothing but impress.
“Noa’s done a great job,” Frost said. “I think he fits us from a character standpoint and an attitude standpoint as well as being a guy that can help us on the field. I’m hearing really good things about him.”
Because of NCAA rules, coaches aren’t allowed to be around their players during summer workouts when the team does any drills including actual footballs. As a result, the only reference Frost has of Noa’s pass-catching ability is from his time at Cal.
He caught 94 catches for 1,224 yards and six touchdowns for the Golden Bears from 2016-18. In 2017, Noa had 76 catches for 788 yards but then suffered an injury last fall that limited him for most of the season.
But Frost has gotten plenty of reports from his other players about Noa’s progress, particularly from Adrian Martinez and the rest of Nebraska’s quarterbacks.
“I don’t get to watch him when they have the ball out there, but the quarterbacks are telling me that he already knows three receiver spots and is very reliable, understands how to run routes and get open,” Frost said. “He’s a good addition to that room.”
Martinez said he’d already developed a good chemistry with Noa in just the first couple of months working together.
Not only did Noa follow former Golden Bear and now NU defensive line coach Tony Tuioti, who coached at Cal from 2017-18, to Lincoln, he was also once set to be a teammate with Martinez in Berkley. Martinez was a long-time UC commit before former head coach Sonny Dykes was fired after the 2016 season.
Once things ramp up at the start of fall camp next month, that connection should only continue to thrive as Huskers.
“He’s really good,” Martinez said. “He’s a really smart player, something I can appreciate. He already knows how to play all the receiver spots, and he’s real reliable, runs solid routes, catches the ball. He’s already left a strong impression on all of the quarterbacks.”
