Moliki Matavao, TE, UCLA
Size:
Height: 6055
Weight: 260
Arm: 32 ½”
Hand: 9 ½”
Accomplishments:
All-Pac-12 Honorable Mention (2023) • Four-star recruit
“Moliki Matavao is a size mismatch at tight end who will threaten the seam with his ball skills and timing.”
Strengths:
Zone feel
Hands
Flashes nuance at the top of routes
NFL size
Concerns:
Blocking technique
Athletic upside
Man coverage
Film Analysis:
Molokai Matavao finished his career at Liberty High School with 64 receptions for 1,045 yards and 12 touchdowns while averaging 16.3 yards per catch and was rated as the top player from Nevada by 247Sports, Rivals, and the 247 Composite while ranking second by ESPN. His senior season was moved to the spring due to COVID, forcing Matavao to miss those games in preparation for College. He committed to Oregon out of high school, collecting 19 receptions for 209 yards and two touchdowns in 26 games before transferring to UCLA for the final two seasons of his collegiate career. He found more success and playing time, compiling 55 receptions for 789 yards and four touchdowns to round out his collegiate days.
Matavao is a massive tight end, coming in at 6-foot-6 and 263 pounds, and he carries it well with his long frame. He has the size to play in-line but profiles better as a “Y” or move tight end at the NFL level. He will need to continue to add functional strength as a blocker and improve his hand location, but the willingness to get dirty as a run or pass blocker is there. His best snaps come on the move, where he can use his momentum to get the defender on a line and take him where he wants to go. He has experience blocking in line, as a split-zone tight end, and pulling, so the versatility and blocking floor are there. He’s willing to do the dirty work regarding blocking with double teams and chips for extra help and won’t shy away from them.
Not an overly dynamic athlete, Matavao doesn’t burst into his routes or show much fluidity to run an extensive route tree, but his feel for zone coverage is a trademark of his game. He structures his routes well, attacking a step behind zone defenders and breaking or settling in zone when they’ve disregarded him. Matavao flashes nuance at the top of routes by leaning into defenders and creating space where he intends to break, always attacking their feet and then breaking outward. His size allows him to operate out of the slot and win matchups against safeties and corners down the seam if the offense is willing to throw him the ball.
He possesses strong hands and ball skills to high-point and adjust quickly to the football away from his frame. UCLA used him frequently on “leak” routes and screens to get him into space to build up speed. His change of direction limits him after the catch, but he will finish runs with physicality and lean into contact to fall forward.
Matavao should prioritize enhancing his blocking technique and functional strength to reach his potential as a tight end blocker. While his athletic profile may limit his effectiveness as a receiver, his size and understanding of zone concepts suggest he has potential for TE2 status.
Prospect Projection: Day 3 — Scheme Specific Contributor
Written By: Daniel Harms
Exposures: Indiana (2024), Washington (2024), Nebraska (2024), Penn State (2024)
