The Nacua brothers are a win away from football glory.
Kai and Samson Nacua are capping off an eventful UFL campaign by advancing to the league championship this Saturday, where their Michigan Panthers will face the D.C. Defenders in St. Louis.
The Nacuas and their Panthers upset the three-time defending champion Birmingham Stallions in Sunday’s conference final to punch their ticket to the championship round.
With the Panthers’ win, they are now the first Detroit-based professional football team to reach a league championship game since the Lions in 1957.
Against Birmingham, Kai Nacua returned an interception 25 yards for a touchdown — his second pick six of the year — to help bury the Stallions.
In his third season with the Panthers, Kai continued to be one of the league’s top defensive players, recording 50 total tackles at safety with six pass breakups and two interceptions.
On the offensive side of the ball, Samson caught nine passes for 121 yards and two touchdowns this season, though he did not appear in the conference final against Birmingham.
Kai spent four seasons at BYU, grabbing 14 interceptions with two touchdowns across 38 contests. He entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent and has spent time with six organizations — most recently the New York Jets in 2022 — before joining Michigan.
Samson played four seasons at Utah before heading to BYU in 2021 to team up with Puka. In 54 total collegiate contests, he caught 103 passes for 1,344 yards and 15 touchdowns.
Puka Nacua is heading into his third campaign with the Los Angeles Rams, while the youngest Nacua brother, Tei, currently plays receiver at BYU.