Matayo Uiagalelei is part of the rich football tradition at St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.). His older brother, D.J. Uiagalelei, is now the starting quarterback for the Clemson Tigers.
Uiagalelei’s top schools currently are Alabama, Ohio State, Clemson, Oregon and USC, with the slight favorite being the Ohio State Buckeyes.
Uiagalelei plays both ways, also getting time on offense as a tight end for the powerhouse St. John Bosco roster. Most pundits and scouts project the 6-foot-5 Trojan target to play defensive end at the next level. As mentioned before, USC could use the help on defense, especially in the trenches, a place where USC has struggled over the past decade.
The 265-pound Uiagalelei is ranked 27th overall in the 2023 class, and in the top five in both the state of California and at the edge position. Matayo racked up 457 receiving yards, 33 catches and 10 total touchdowns on offense while also adding 21 tackles, 6 tackles for loss, and 3 sacks at multiple D-line positions.
Uiagalelei was named LA Times Player of The Year in 2021 last season. He was recently named a First-Team All-American by Max Preps. The senior reminds me of Isaiah Foskey, formerly of De La Salle High School (California) and currently at Notre Dame. Foskey is expected to be a top-50 pick in the 2023 NFL draft, and in a few years I expect Matayo to be right there in the mix.
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