Simmons Scoop: Ohio State is leading for 5-star DL Matayo Uiagalelei
Bellflower (Calif.) St. John Bosco five-star defensive lineman Matayo Uiagalelei will be in Columbus this weekend for Ohio State‘s game against Notre Dame. According to On3 Director of Recruiting Chad Simmons, the Buckeyes are in a great position for the 6-foot-5, 263 pound prospect.
“You have Matayo Uiagalelei coming in from California, who I think the Ohio State Buckeyes are trending for right now,” Simmons said, “mainly up against schools like Oregon and USC and Alabama.”
Uiagalelei is the No. 22 overall prospect and No. 3 defensive lineman in the 2023 On3 Consensus, a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He is also the No. 4 player in California.
Ohio State certainly has the attention of the five-star recruit. In May, Uiagalelei told Simmons about his interest in the Buckeyes and defensive line coach Larry Johnson.
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“Larry Johnson, he’s definitely been one of the top defensive line and defensive ends guys in college football for like the last decade,” Uiagalelei said. “You can just see how many guys he has put in the league. And it makes me think, “Man, I might want to go there if I see that. … Ryan Day is a great coach, too. And we have a great relationship. Their consistency is big, too and their ability to always be a top program.”
According to the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine, Ohio State has the lead for Uiagalelei’s commitment at 52.2%. The Ducks have the next-best odds at 24%, while the Trojans have the third-best chance at 20.1%.
“I think the Buckeyes are in a good spot with one of the top prospects in the state of California,” Simmons said.
Matayo Uiagalelei On3 Scouting Summary
The following is the On3 Scouting Summary for Matayo Uiagalelei:
“A big jumbo athlete who doubles as a tight end and defensive end for one of the nation’s top high school programs. Has unique movement skills and speed at 6-foot-5 and over 260 pounds. Is able to run with linebackers and some defensive backs at his size. Has shown some improvement as a pass catcher over the course of 2021. Likely has a higher long-term upside as a defensive lineman or even offensive tackle rather than tight end. Can continue to increase his physicality on a snap-to-snap basis.”
Uiagalelei has an On3 NIL Valuation of $211K. The On3 NIL Valuation is an index that looks to set the standard market value for both high school and college-level athletes. The NIL valuation does not act as a tracker of the value of NIL deals an athlete has completed to date. It rather signifies an athlete’s value at a certain moment in time.