UCLA's Moliki Matavao Made Money Moves at the Senior Bowl

Impressing many with his route running and physicality, UCLA's Moliki Matavao is a man many are predicting gets drafted higher than previously expected.

Nov 30, 2024; Pasadena, California, USA; UCLA Bruins tight end Moliki Matavao (88) breaks a tackle by Fresno State Bulldogs defensive back Jayden Davis (11) during the fourth quarter at Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images / Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images

Moliki Matavao's journey to the Reese's Senior Bowl is not for the faint of heart. The 6-6, 263-pound tight end from Henderson, Nevada was a consensus four-star recruit coming out of high school and at one point was considered one of the best tight ends in the nation.

Committing to Oregon, Matavao saw regular playing time with the Ducks but due to a loaded roster including Terrance Ferguson, Cam McCormick and Patrick Herbert fighting for reps at tight end, he left for UCLA, where he believed he would become a focal point of Chip Kelly's offense.

After a productive 2023, Kelly left the program, and despite decent numbers for a man playing the tight end position, the dysfunction of Eric Bieniemy's offense stifled his growth and his place on NFL draft boards.

It is not easy to go from being considered one of the best players in the country to then having to fight for opportunities while things outside of your control hamper football expectations.

But Matavao has taken it all in stride and after his Senior Bowl performance, his stock is on the rise. While he is still expected to be a Day-3 player, he has done everything he could to ensure he gets drafted and teams are starting to take notice of his abilities and professional attitude.

Players like Matavao need to be perfect at executing the fundamentals and Matavao's ability to run routes while playing as a typical tight end has some believing he'll be an immediate TE2 as soon as he enters the league.

Quick swing to Moliki Matavao #SeniorBowl #TheDraftStartsInMOBILE pic.twitter.com/ENj1sz6Z9b

— Big Blue In The Bronx 🎙️ Alex Gajovich-Protich (@BBlueintheBronx) January 30, 2025

What has separated Matavao from others is the way he has conducted himself for the past three days. He initiates contact at every opportunity, he finishes reps and his feet look smooth when he turns into a pass catcher.

Matavao has a solid frame, good base and he looks at the ball every time he makes a catch. For a player like him, teams have already highlighted his name to perform a deeper dive into his abilities so he has to make sure he keeps up the solid effort on Saturday as that will be the last game in his collegiate career and the last time he'll get a chance to put his play on film.

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