Utes on the rise: Cornerback Malone Mataele

After an impressive 2021 performance, soon to be Junior Malone Mataele is one of the Utes on the rise for the 2022 campaign.

With the 2021 Utah Football season now fully in the rearview mirror and spring ball just around the corner, it's time to reflect and review on the notable performances from the season. While players like Cameron Rising, Tavion Thomas, Devin Lloyd and Nephi Sewell made most of the big plays and helped lead the team to their first ever Pac-12 Championship, there were a handful of younger players who made notable contributions and are certainly players on the rise.

The following is a recap and analysis of sophomore Malone Mataele, his 2021 contributions, and what potential may lie in store.

Mataele is another player who benefited from the 2020 eligibility freeze as 2021 was technically his fourth season with the program. After redshirting in 2018 and fulfilling smaller roles in 2019 and 2020, Mataele had somewhat of a breakout season during 2021 as he made 11 appearances with five starts.

Operating primarily at nickel-back, Mataele helped lock down the secondary and made notable contributions all season long. Right from the beginning, Mataele set a career-high number of tackles with five against BYU and remained consistent with multiple stops throughout the rest of the season.

Over the course of the year, Mataele recorded 28 total tackles for 11th most on the team while also contributing 2.5 tackles for loss, one interception and two pass break-ups. From these contributions, he strung together notable performances such as his career-high number of tackles against BYU, six stops between both games against Oregon with a critical interception in the Pac-12 Championship and three in the Rose Bowl.

For his efforts, Mataele produced six appearances with three or more tackles, his first tackle for loss against San Diego State and a pivotal interception against Oregon just before halftime in the title game to set Jadon Redding up for a last second field goal to take a 23-0 lead.

Mataele was finally able to demonstrate his impressive defensive abilities this season after waiting patiently for his time to shine. From game to game his awareness continually improved which helped him consistently make stops and lock down the secondary. He also demonstrated growth as four out his five last games included three tackles against three top-ten teams.

As for the future, Mataele still has two years of eligibility remaining to improve on his skills and refine his technique. After adjusting to the nickel position, he should continue to defend the secondary and could really help Utah go even further if he’s able to utilize his athleticism and take his physicality to the next level.

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