Inside The Huskies

UW Pick Ups Another Arizona Defender from the Transfer Portal

Uiagalelei is a familiar name across college football, and now the Huskies have one.

Dan Raley

Arizona defensive lineman Ta'ita'i Uiagalelei will transfer to the UW.
Arizona defensive lineman Ta'ita'i Uiagalelei will transfer to the UW. / Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Ta'ita'i Uiagalelei, whose last name is well known across the college football landscape, and a moniker overly familiar to Jedd Fisch, will transfer from Arizona to the University of Washington -- becoming the second Wildcats defender to go this route in two days.

On Saturday, the 6-foot-4, 280-pound edge rusher revealed on social media he is headed to Seattle in 2025 to finish up his last season of college football eligibility and play for his former coach.

Uiagalelei, originally committed to Washington State when coming out of Southern California high school powerhouse Mater Dei before turning to Fisch and Arizona, joins one-time All-Pac-12 linebacker Jacob Manu in becoming recent UW pledges.

He has that recognizable college football name, too. He's the cousin of Oregon sophomore edge rusher Matayo Uiagalelei, a first-team All-Big Ten selection this season, and of quarterback DJ Uiagalelei, Matayo's older brother, who has played for Clemson, Oregon State and this past season for Florida State.

Uiagalelei started all 12 games for Arizona's 4-8 team this season, accumulating 33 tackles, 8 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks.

Overall, he appeared in 33 outings for the Wildcats and started 18. He has career stats of 68 tackles, 13.5 TFLs, 4.5 sacks, and a pass break-up, a fumble recovery and a kick block.

Arizona Wildcats defensive lineman Ta'ita'i Uiagalelei is shown in 2022 as a freshman.
Arizona Wildcats defensive lineman Ta'ita'i Uiagalelei is shown in 2022 as a freshman. / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

He played twice against the UW, both times as a reserve. He came up with 2 tackles in a 49-39 loss at Husky Stadium in 2022 and got on the field but didn't register any stats in a 31-24 defeat in Tucson in 2023.

Uiagalelei, similar to the UW's Voi Tunuufi, can play both inside and out on the defensive line. For now, he gives the Huskies three former Arizona edge rushers, reuniting with sophomore Isaiah Ward and junior Russell Davis II.

For the latest UW football and basketball news, go to si.com/college/washington

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Dan Raley
DAN RALEY

Dan Raley has worked for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, as well as for MSN.com and Boeing, the latter as a global aerospace writer. His sportswriting career spans four decades and he's covered University of Washington football and basketball during much of that time. In a working capacity, he's been to the Super Bowl, the NBA Finals, the MLB playoffs, the Masters, the U.S. Open, the PGA Championship and countless Final Fours and bowl games.

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