Moliki

Matavao

He will join Juwan Johnson, Foster Moreau, and Taysom Hill on the New Orleans tight end depth chart. Matavao (6’6/260) has the prototypical size for an NFL tight end while putting together a productive final college season. He was UCLA’s leading receiver in 2024, catching 41 passes for 506 yards and two touchdowns. Starting his career at Oregon, Matavao did not have much to show until his final season but flashes smooth movements with his big size. He is an inconsistent run blocker and his large frame will only go so far against NFL competition. Matavao also lacks the speed to be a downfield target and makes his biggest impact over the middle of the field.

Matavao (6'6/240) opted in with Oregon over fellow finalists Georgia, Penn State and UCLA. He waxed poetic on the Ducks when speaking with 247Sports on his pledge, noting that the program is “grabbing huge players.” There’s plenty of upside to be tapped, here, as the Henderson, Nevada, native has shown promise both as a blocker and receiver during his prep career. On the 247Sports composite board, Matavao lands as the No. 151 overall prospect in the 2021 class. Outlet analyst Blair Angulo sees shades of former UM TE Jake Butt in Matavao’s game.

The final four: Georgia, Oregon, Penn State and UCLA. The 6-foot-6, 240-pound tight end was once considered a strong lean towards Washington, but things have changed, as they often do for teenagers. He’s rated the fourth best tight end in the class, and the 247Sports experts predict he lands with the Ducks.

Matavao is considered one of the top tight ends in the class, and is believed to be down to Penn State, Tennessee, Georgia, Washington, Oregon and UCLA. While all six schools apparently have a shot, the Huskies are considered the favorites; with Blair Angulo of 247Sports giving a 100 percent crystal ball projection for the 6-foot-6, 240-pound tight end. In the 247Sports composite rankings, Matavao comes in as the top prospect in the state of Nevada (Liberty High School; Henderson, Nevada), and the fourth best tight end in the class.

Matavao (6'6/240) holds offers from numerous power conference programs, including Alabama, Miami, Washington, Texas and Texas A&M just to name a few. 247Sports’ recruiting analysts provided the following scouting report on the four-star tight end from Henderson, NV (Liberty HS): “Plus athlete with mobility; light on his feet and comfortable moving out of his stance; can run past linebackers in space.” Matavao recently visited a couple schools in the southeast, as he took unofficial visits to Tennessee, Alabama and Georgia before returning home.