Ducks Digest

Oregon Ducks Hosting 2023 5-Star Defensive End Matayo Uiagalelei This Weekend

Dan Lanning and his staff are getting one of the top talents in the junior class on campus for a visit.

Max Torres

Oregon has no shortage of elite recruits visiting Eugene this weekend, as the Ducks continue turning up the intensity on the recruiting trail to close out the month of January. 

You can add another massive name to the visitor list, as 2023 5-star defensive end Matayo Uiagalelei arrived in Eugene late Saturday night for a visit after visiting the USC Trojans on Saturday.

Uiagalelei, a 6-foot-6, 270-pound defensive end out of San John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.), is the younger brother of Clemson quarterback D.J Uiagalelei, who the Ducks recruited heavily out of high school. Matayo played both tight end and defensive end as a junior for the Braves, dominating on both sides of the ball en route to 10-2 record, including dominant wins over Central (Miami, FL) High School as well as Oscar Smith (Chesapeake, VA) High School.

Just how good of a prospect is the Southern California native?

He's rated a 247 Sports Composite 5-star prospect, the No. 19 player in the nation, the No. 1 edge, and the No. 3 prospect in all of California. He's expected to focus most of his attention on defense his senior year.

On the surface, many assume he's Clemson's to loose given his family connections, but Uiagalelei has taken visits to many of college football's top programs, including Alabama, Georgia, Ohio State and Clemson.

The Ducks are hoping for better luck landing an Uiagalelei this time around in 2023, and could perhaps be better-equipped to contend in his recruitment with a staff full of elite recruiters under new Head Coach Dan Lanning. Uiagalelei's arrival makes him the third 5-star prospect to visit Oregon this weekend, joining 2023 quarterbacks Nico Iamaleava (Downey, Calif.) and Dante Moore (Detroit, Mich.).

*WATCH MATAYO UIAGALELEI HIGHLIGHTS HERE*

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Max Torres
MAX TORRES

Max Torres is the publisher and lead editor of Ducks Digest. He's covered the Oregon football and recruiting beats for four years. He's based out of Long Beach, CA and travels around Southern California and the country covering top high school football prospects.

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