It’s fair to say that 2024 was a banner year for BYU athletics.

The football team went 11-2 and improved its win total by six games over the previous season, then capped it all with a dominant Alamo Bowl win over Colorado.

The men’s basketball team reached the NCAA tournament, and while that ended in a first-round loss, the Cougars have transitioned under new head coach Kevin Young into a place where projected future NBA draft picks like Egor Demin and Kanon Catchings and 2025′s top-rated recruit AJ Dybantsa want to play.

In late November, the men’s and women’s cross-country teams made history, as both programs won a national championship on the same day. That was a first for BYU, and only the fourth time in history a school has swept the titles in the same season.

The Cougars were also represented by a variety of athletes at the 2024 Olympic Summer Games in France, headlined by Kenneth Rooks’ silver-medal finish in the 3,000-meter steeplechase.

That success has extended to the NFL sphere, where three players who once suited up for BYU had standout weekly performances that got people around the league buzzing.

Here’s a look back at times when Puka Nacua, Taysom Hill and Fred Warner captured the attention of the NFL world this season.

Puka Nacua

• Los Angeles Rams wide receiver
• Dec. 8, 44-42 win over Buffalo Bills

Nacua has developed a flair for the dramatic in his short time in the NFL, and that ability was on display in the thrilling victory over the Bills.

His 19-yard, toe-tapping catch along the sideline in the third quarter was shown on countless highlight reels and even got Tom Brady to call it “unbelieveable.”

That was the headline of a day when Nacua finished with a season-high 12 receptions for 162 yards and a touchdown, while also rushing for 16 yards and another score on five carries.

His first touchdown came on a 4-yard carry late in the second quarter that gave Los Angeles a 24-14 lead heading into halftime.

Nacua then scored on a 19-yard wide receiver screen with just under two minutes remaining to give the Rams enough cushion with a 44-35 lead to hold off the hard-charging Bills.

Going into the final week of the season, Nacua’s per-game averages are better than his rookie season, when he set the NFL rookie records for receptions (105) — a record that was broken Sunday by Raiders tight end Brock Bowers — and receiving yards (1,486).

He has 79 receptions on the year for 990 yards and three touchdowns in 11 games played. Nacua missed five games due to injury early in the year.

If he had played every game, Nacua would be on pace for 122 receptions and 1,530 receiving yards. Both of those numbers would be top 3 in the league.

The win over Buffalo in early December helped move the Rams into the No. 3 NFC playoff seed heading into the season’s final week. While the team has clinched the NFC West, Los Angeles could still drop to the No. 4 seed if it loses to the Seattle Seahawks.

Rams coach Sean McVay said Nacua has been better in Year 2 over his record-breaking rookie season.

“I think there’s been a consistency. I think there’s an ability to understand and impact the game,” McVay said, according to Rams Wire. “He was tremendous last year and I think he was learning and growing. One of the things I love about him is the accountability that he always takes. I think he’s caught the ball consistently well. He’s had a lot of different targets. I think he’s made some of these incredible catches.

“… I think the body of work, the resume, the consistency, the understanding of how to take my game to another level. And then the attention he gets than what he got in his rookie year, and for him to still be able to produce the way that he did, to have the rapport he’s had with Matthew (Stafford). It’s been special, and I definitely think he’s gotten better in Year 2. And I don’t think the stats is the best way to measure it. it’s what does the product look like snap in and snap out. What’s being asked of him? He’s been a stud.”

Taysom Hill

• New Orleans Saints tight end
• Nov. 17, 35-14 win over Cleveland Browns

Hill has become one of the most versatile players in the NFL today, with his ability to line up at a variety of positions on offense and special teams and deliver toughness each game.

In the victory over the Browns, that ability was on full display in what ended up being a record day for the former BYU quarterback turned Saints tight end.

Hill ended up with a career-best 206 yards from scrimmage, while adding a kickoff return of 42 yards.

He ran the ball seven times for 138 yards and three touchdowns, caught eight passes for another 50 yards and also completed 1 of 2 passes for 18 yards.

Hill scored the game’s first touchdown on a 10-yard run in the first quarter to give New Orleans an early 7-0 lead.

He then added two long touchdown runs in the fourth quarter — of 33 and 75 yards — as the Saints pulled away from the Browns.

It wasn’t all great that day — Hill turned the ball over twice, once on a fumble and another on an interception.

Still, the performance showed how dangerous Hill can be for the Saints offense.

“When he touches the ball, and when he’s on the field, it affects the game tremendously. And sometimes he doesn’t even have to get the ball,” Saints interim coach Darren Rizzi told reporters, as the Deseret News previously reported.

“He ran it, he threw it, he caught it — when you’re defending that and you’re not sure where he’s going to line up, it neutralizes the defense a little bit.”

Hill is done for the season — he went on injured reserve after tearing his ACL in a Dec. 1 game against the Rams.

It’s been a long season for the New Orleans organization. The Saints have lost three straight heading into Week 18 and are out of the playoff picture with a 5-11 record.

Fred Warner

• San Francisco linebacker
• Sept. 15, 23-17 loss to Minnesota Vikings

Although it came in a losing effort, Warner’s impact was felt throughout the game.

Warner played all 54 defensive snaps for the 49ers against the Vikings, and he recorded a statistic on 20% of those snaps.

He ended the day with nine tackles (seven solo), one sack, one stuff, two forced fumbles, an interception he returned 25 yards and two pass deflections.

Warner made a pass deflection on third down, which led to a punt on the Vikings’ first drive.

In the second quarter, Warner intercepted Sam Darnold at the 49ers 10 — halting a promising scoring drive — and returned it 25 yards. That set up a San Francisco touchdown that cut the Minnesota lead to 10-7.

He had a pair of impactful plays in the third quarter. First, Warner stuffed Vikings running back Aaron Jones for a 2-yard loss on second and 1 and after Minnesota didn’t convert on third down, it led to a punt.

Later, the Vikings were again driving and appeared to be in prime position to score when Jones caught a pass and was headed to the end zone. Warner stripped Jones of the ball at the 2-yard line, though, and a teammate landed on the ball at the San Francisco 1 for another takeaway.

Warner also forced a fumble in the fourth quarter, when he strip-sacked Darnold on a second and 7 play. The ball bounced out of bounds, allowing the Vikings to retain possession.

After the 49ers reached the Super Bowl last season — losing in overtime to Kansas City — it’s been a rough year for San Francisco.

The 49ers are 6-10 and were eliminated from the playoff picture a couple weeks ago.

Despite the team’s struggles, Warner has been having another Pro Bowl-caliber season, even while playing through a fractured bone in his ankle since early in the season. He has 123 tackles on the year going into Week 18, while adding four forced fumbles, two interceptions and seven pass deflections.