LOOK: Lincoln Riley congratulates Matayo Uiagalelei on state title
Bellflower (Calif.) St. John Bosco five-star defensive lineman Matayo Uiagalelei won the California state title Friday.
On Saturday, he was at USC‘s game versus Notre Dame watching the Trojans complete an 11-1 regular season.
After the game, Uiagalelei met up with USC head coach Lincoln Riley on the field. Riley congratulated Uiagalelei on the state title, and even held up a St. John Bosco towel for a photo.
Uiagalelei is the No. 25 overall recruit and No. 3 defensive lineman in the 2023 cycle, according to the On3 Consensus, a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.
He currently has an On3 NIL Valuation of $211k. The On3 NIL Valuation is the industry’s leading index that sets high school and college athletes’ projected annual value (PAV). 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.
The Trojans are battling with Ohio State for Uiagalelei’s commitment. The Buckeyes currently have the lead, according to the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine.
Matayo Uiagalelei Scouting Summary
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.