Highlights & Evaluation: Louisville LB Commit Caleb Matelau

Louisville Report breaks down 2025 Louisville football linebacker commit Caleb Matelau.

Palmetto (Fla.) HS linebacker and Louisville commit Caleb Matelau / University of Louisville Athletics

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The Louisville football program has landed their first defensive commit in the Class of 2025 commitment, as Caleb Matelau has committed to the Cardinals.

Here is Louisville Report's full evaluation:

Prospect: Caleb Matelau
Position: Inside Linebacker
Measurables: 6-foot-1, 215 pounds
School: Palmetto (Fla.) HS
Top Offers: Buffali, Florida Atlantic, Pitt, USF, Wake Forest
247Sports Composite Rating (Nat'l Rank): N/A

Caleb Matelau's Junior Year Highlights: HERE (Hudl)

Frame: In terms of height/length, Matelau is a tad bit undersized from what you would normally expect out of a Power Four linebacker. He could also add a bit more weight/muscle, but that shouldn't be hard given that he still plenty of room on his frame.

Athleticism: What Matelau lacks in size (for now), he makes up for with athletic intangibles. He's got much more upper body strength than is expected, has a great first step and good speed overall, not to mention he moves relatively fluidly while doing so.

Instincts: What immediately stands out about Matelau's game is that he plays with absolutely zero hesitation. As soon as he finds a pursuit angle, he attacks it with a decisiveness not seen in many high school linebacker. Thanks to this, as well as his fantastic burst, Matelau has good blitz timing on snap counts, and his great closing speed gets him in the backfield extremely quickly. On top of all that, he is an incredibly violent tackler that is not afraid to make a big hit. This is fully on display not only against ballcarriers, but blockers as well, as Matelau regularly displays sheer determination to make a play.

Polish: Matelau does a great job of attacking and finding the open holes in the A gap and a good job in the B gap, but his pursuit angles outside the tackles are a bit hit-or-miss. Fortunately, this is usually remedied by great recovery speed. While Matelau is still an overall fundamentally sound tackler, there are a handful of times where he does lead with his shoulder or makes a hit on the quarterback that borders on roughing the passer. The biggest question mark regarding Matelau is his work in pass coverage, as his film almost exclusively shows work against the run or blitzes on pass plays.

Bottom Line: Overall, this is a very underrated pickup for Louisville. While he is a bit undersized and his work in coverage is unproven (which likely is the reason why he is an unranked prospect), Matelau's athleticism and decisiveness make him a phenomenal asset against the run and in blitz packages. He's the definition of a "diamond in the rough."

(Photo of Caleb Matelau via University of Louisville Athletics)

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