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Matavao, Moliki
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Jersey Number 88
Moliki Matavao
- Position:
- Tight End
- Height:
- 6-6
- Weight:
- 263
- Class:
- Junior
- Hometown:
- Henderson, Nev.
- High School:
- Liberty HS / Oregon
Bio
Career Highlights
• All-Pac-12 honoree (Honorable Mention - 2023)
Career Summary
Started 22 of 50 games played across four seasons at UCLA (2023 and 2024) and Oregon (2021 and 2022) ... logged 74 receptions for 998 yards (13.5 yards per catch) during collegiate career ... led Bruins with 41 catches and 506 receiving yards in 2024 ... earned All-Pac-12 acclaim in 2023.
2024
Played in 11 games (not Iowa), making eight starts … caught 41 passes for 506 yards (12.3 yards per reception) and two touchdowns … his 41 catches and 506 receiving yards were team highs … collected Jackie R. Robinson Award for athletic and academic balance at year-end team banquet … registered at least one catch in each of 11 games played … logged season highs of eight receptions and 120 receiving yards against Fresno State (Nov. 30); 35-yard catch from quarterback Ethan Garbers was season long … caught two passes for 15 yards and a touchdown versus USC (Nov. 23) … hauled in seven passes for 68 yards and a score at Washington (Nov. 15) … made six catches for 104 yards at Rutgers (Oct. 19) … made Polynesian College Football Player of the Year preseason watch list … named to John Mackey Award preseason watch list ... named to Athletic Director's Honor Roll for Fall 2024.
2023
Appeared in all 13 games, with starts in six games (North Carolina Central, Washington State, Oregon State, Stanford, Arizona State, Boise State) ... earned honorable mention All-Pac-12 honors ... caught passes in 10 games with season high of three receptions against Washington State ... had eight catches on the season for at least 20 yards -- 23-ASU, 26 (TD)-Colorado, 20 (TD)-at Stanford, 34 at Oregon State, 29-27-20 versus WSU, 35-at San Diego State ... averaged team-best 20.2 yards per catch ... enrolled at UCLA in January 2023.
2022 (Oregon)
Made six starts and appeared in all 12 regular-season games … caught 10 passes for 134 yards and a touchdown, and rushed once for a three-yard score … played 336 total offensive snaps and 139 on special teams … made at least one reception in seven games … had 22-yard catch vs. BYU … caught one pass (10) and rushed for a three-yard score at Arizona … caught season-high three passes at California (45) and had career-long catch of 24 yards … made two receptions at Colorado (26), including 16-yard TD catch.
2021 (Oregon)
Saw action in all 14 games as a true freshman, making two starts at tight end … caught nine passes for 75 yards and a touchdown … played 401 total snaps, including 295 at tight end … earned 72.0 pass-blocking grade from Pro Football Focus … made first career reception in win at No. 3 Ohio State (14-yard touchdown catch in fourth quarter) … grabbed two passes versus Stony Brook (18) … made one catch against Colorado (15).
High School
Consensus four-star recruit and top-6 tight end nationally by ESPN (No. 4 TE-Y), the 247 composite (No. 5), Rivals (No. 6) and 247Sports (No. 6) … consensus top-300 player nationally by Rivals (No. 95), the 247 composite (No. 149), 247Sports (No. 165) and ESPN (No. 293) … rated as top player from Nevada by 247Sports, Rivals and the 247 composite while ranking second by ESPN … named to PrepStar Top 150 Dream Team as the magazine’s No. 9 player overall … selected to play in the 2021 All-American Bowl and 2021 Polynesian Bowl … named to the second-team MaxPreps 2020 Preseason High School All-American Football Team … senior season was moved to the spring because of COVID-19 … finished career with 64 receptions for 1,045 yards and 12 touchdowns, while averaging 16.3 yards per catch … in 2019, named to first-team MaxPreps Football Junior All-American Team after leading Liberty to a NIAA 4A State Football Playoffs championship as well as a 4A Desert – Southeast Conference title … named to MaxPreps Nevada All-State First-Team, while also earning a spot on the All-Southern Nevada First Team … member of MaxPreps Preseason All-Nevada Team … finished with 46 receptions for 718 yards and seven TDs while averaging 15.6 yards per catch … had three 100-yard receiving games, including a career-high 123 yards on five catches with a touchdown in state championship game win vs. Centennial … had 117 yards receiving and TD on five receptions vs. Green Valley … totaled 100 yards on five catches with touchdown vs. Foothill … finished with multiple receptions in 10 of 12 games … season-high seven receptions for 87 yards and a TD vs. Coronado … caught TD pass in seven different games including one in both the state semifinal win over Bishop Manogue and the state championship win vs. Centennial … as a sophomore, named to the 2018 first-team Nevada Preps All-State Football Team after helping Liberty to a conference championship and a spot in the NIAA 4A State Playoffs … finished season with 18 receptions for 327 yards and five TDs while averaging 18.2 yards per catch and 40.9 yards per game … had multiple catches in six of eight games played including a season-high three four times … finished with season-best 89 yards and a TD in a win vs. Sierra Vista … had career-best two TDs in win vs. Coronado … high school coach was Richard Muraco.
Personal
Son of Leslie and Newel Matavao ... lists Jason Witten as famous athlete he most admires. ... hobbies include hunting ... majored in sociology.
• All-Pac-12 honoree (Honorable Mention - 2023)
Career Summary
Started 22 of 50 games played across four seasons at UCLA (2023 and 2024) and Oregon (2021 and 2022) ... logged 74 receptions for 998 yards (13.5 yards per catch) during collegiate career ... led Bruins with 41 catches and 506 receiving yards in 2024 ... earned All-Pac-12 acclaim in 2023.
2024
Played in 11 games (not Iowa), making eight starts … caught 41 passes for 506 yards (12.3 yards per reception) and two touchdowns … his 41 catches and 506 receiving yards were team highs … collected Jackie R. Robinson Award for athletic and academic balance at year-end team banquet … registered at least one catch in each of 11 games played … logged season highs of eight receptions and 120 receiving yards against Fresno State (Nov. 30); 35-yard catch from quarterback Ethan Garbers was season long … caught two passes for 15 yards and a touchdown versus USC (Nov. 23) … hauled in seven passes for 68 yards and a score at Washington (Nov. 15) … made six catches for 104 yards at Rutgers (Oct. 19) … made Polynesian College Football Player of the Year preseason watch list … named to John Mackey Award preseason watch list ... named to Athletic Director's Honor Roll for Fall 2024.
2023
Appeared in all 13 games, with starts in six games (North Carolina Central, Washington State, Oregon State, Stanford, Arizona State, Boise State) ... earned honorable mention All-Pac-12 honors ... caught passes in 10 games with season high of three receptions against Washington State ... had eight catches on the season for at least 20 yards -- 23-ASU, 26 (TD)-Colorado, 20 (TD)-at Stanford, 34 at Oregon State, 29-27-20 versus WSU, 35-at San Diego State ... averaged team-best 20.2 yards per catch ... enrolled at UCLA in January 2023.
2022 (Oregon)
Made six starts and appeared in all 12 regular-season games … caught 10 passes for 134 yards and a touchdown, and rushed once for a three-yard score … played 336 total offensive snaps and 139 on special teams … made at least one reception in seven games … had 22-yard catch vs. BYU … caught one pass (10) and rushed for a three-yard score at Arizona … caught season-high three passes at California (45) and had career-long catch of 24 yards … made two receptions at Colorado (26), including 16-yard TD catch.
2021 (Oregon)
Saw action in all 14 games as a true freshman, making two starts at tight end … caught nine passes for 75 yards and a touchdown … played 401 total snaps, including 295 at tight end … earned 72.0 pass-blocking grade from Pro Football Focus … made first career reception in win at No. 3 Ohio State (14-yard touchdown catch in fourth quarter) … grabbed two passes versus Stony Brook (18) … made one catch against Colorado (15).
High School
Consensus four-star recruit and top-6 tight end nationally by ESPN (No. 4 TE-Y), the 247 composite (No. 5), Rivals (No. 6) and 247Sports (No. 6) … consensus top-300 player nationally by Rivals (No. 95), the 247 composite (No. 149), 247Sports (No. 165) and ESPN (No. 293) … rated as top player from Nevada by 247Sports, Rivals and the 247 composite while ranking second by ESPN … named to PrepStar Top 150 Dream Team as the magazine’s No. 9 player overall … selected to play in the 2021 All-American Bowl and 2021 Polynesian Bowl … named to the second-team MaxPreps 2020 Preseason High School All-American Football Team … senior season was moved to the spring because of COVID-19 … finished career with 64 receptions for 1,045 yards and 12 touchdowns, while averaging 16.3 yards per catch … in 2019, named to first-team MaxPreps Football Junior All-American Team after leading Liberty to a NIAA 4A State Football Playoffs championship as well as a 4A Desert – Southeast Conference title … named to MaxPreps Nevada All-State First-Team, while also earning a spot on the All-Southern Nevada First Team … member of MaxPreps Preseason All-Nevada Team … finished with 46 receptions for 718 yards and seven TDs while averaging 15.6 yards per catch … had three 100-yard receiving games, including a career-high 123 yards on five catches with a touchdown in state championship game win vs. Centennial … had 117 yards receiving and TD on five receptions vs. Green Valley … totaled 100 yards on five catches with touchdown vs. Foothill … finished with multiple receptions in 10 of 12 games … season-high seven receptions for 87 yards and a TD vs. Coronado … caught TD pass in seven different games including one in both the state semifinal win over Bishop Manogue and the state championship win vs. Centennial … as a sophomore, named to the 2018 first-team Nevada Preps All-State Football Team after helping Liberty to a conference championship and a spot in the NIAA 4A State Playoffs … finished season with 18 receptions for 327 yards and five TDs while averaging 18.2 yards per catch and 40.9 yards per game … had multiple catches in six of eight games played including a season-high three four times … finished with season-best 89 yards and a TD in a win vs. Sierra Vista … had career-best two TDs in win vs. Coronado … high school coach was Richard Muraco.
Personal
Son of Leslie and Newel Matavao ... lists Jason Witten as famous athlete he most admires. ... hobbies include hunting ... majored in sociology.
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