#88

Moliki Matavao

Former tight end at UCLA. 2024: 41 catches, 506 receiving yards, 2 TD.

TE · UCLA · Sr. · #88

6′6″ · 263 lb · Henderson, NV

CFB Index 62 · #23 of 135 TEsMedium-low confidenceNew Orleans — drafted 2025, Rd 7, Pick 32, #248 overall

Recruiting

4★

TE recruit

No. 160 nationally · Signed with Oregon

No college snaps yet.

His career numbers, season by season

The story

Former tight end at UCLA. 2024: 41 catches, 506 receiving yards, 2 TD.

Signed as a 4-star recruit to Oregon in 2021.
Transferred from Oregon to UCLA in 2023.
Drafted round 7 by the New Orleans in 2025.

His career, year by year

How it ended

Four seasons at UCLA, 998 receiving yards — drafted at #248 overall by New Orleans.

His career

He was on the field for 4 seasons. That is rarer than it sounds.

The week the volume broke through — put up 120 yds vs Fresno State.Fresno State · W 20-132024

20218 games

Signed with Oregon4-star out of Liberty

202310 games

Entered the portal

2025

Drafted by New Orleansround 7, pick 248

Career arc

Recruit

★★★★

#160 national

CFB

College

2 teams

2021–2024

NFL

NFL Draft

R7 · #248

New Orleans · 2025

Coaching lineage · 2021–2024

2 coaches

2021–2023

Chip Kelly

UCLA

2024

Deshaun Foster

UCLA

era →

Coaching transition mid-career: Chip Kelly → Deshaun Foster. Worth noting in scheme + development context.

Where He Ended Up · NFL

New OrleansEntering 2nd NFL season

#248Rd 7 · Pick 32

New OrleansEntering 2nd NFL season

View college career stats ↓

2024 snapshot

Season context · Team result + system

2021Oregon10-4HC: Bryan McClendon · Run-leaning

2022Oregon10-3HC: Dan Lanning · Run-leaning

2023UCLA8-5HC: Chip Kelly · Run-leaning

2024UCLA5-7HC: Deshaun Foster · Balanced, slow tempo

Where this profile ranks vs the TE cohort

Box-score + play-by-play EPA percentiles

62Quality starter #23 of 135?

Medium-low confidence11 metrics · season cumulative

Elite: explosive rate (82nd percentile). Strength: rec yards (87th percentile).

Real play-by-play efficiency

Explosive rate#107 / 610 · 82nd pct

22.2%

EPA / target#166 / 610 · 73rd pct

1.07

Catch rate#204 / 610 · 66th pct

93.3%

Yards / catch#231 / 610 · 62nd pct

12.8

TD rate#384 / 610 · 37th pct

4.4%

Box-score rates (6)

Rec yards#22 / 168 · 87th pct

506

Receptions#23 / 168 · 86th pct

Fumbles lost#1 / 47 · 72nd pct

Yards / catch#48 / 168 · 71st pct

12.3

Long catch#73 / 168 · 55th pct

Rec TDs#72 / 168 · 46th pct

Season trend

EPA / target— first qualifying season

Explosive rate— first qualifying season

Catch rate— first qualifying season

TD rate— first qualifying season

Yards / catch— first qualifying season

Percentiles versus same-position peers with enough snaps this season. Most bars are box-score rates; EPA / success-rate bars are computed from real play-by-play (offense only — no defensive EPA model exists yet).

Splits & context

Splits · Per-game

2024 season · 11 games

Home/Road · Season halves

Home vs Road

	REC/g	YDS/g	YPR	TD/g
Home5g	3.4	42.2	12.4	0.2
Road6g	4.0	49.2	11.8	0.2

First half vs Second half

	REC/g	YDS/g	YPR	TD/g
Weeks 1-76g	2.3	24.5	11.7	0.0
Weeks 8+5g	5.4	71.8	12.5	0.4

Supporting cast · Scheme

Staff and system around the player

2026 season

Head Coach

Bob Chesney

Scheme reads (pass share, tempo, sack rate) need at least 3 team games — 2 games in so far.

Awards

Player standing · 2024

Rotational

Earning real snaps in the rotation without a starting job.

Recognition

Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex

Production · CFB Index Score

62 · #23 of 135 TEs

Former four-star. Now #23 at the position.

Career stats

Season	Team
2024	UCLA	41	506	12.3	2	--
2023	UCLA	14	283	20.2	2	--
2022	Oregon	10	134	13.4	1	--
2021	Oregon	9	75	8.3	1	--
Career		74	998	13.5	6	--

Signature plays

Signature plays · top plays by |EPA|

The plays that mattered most

fact

Week 12 · Washington · 3&9 · Q1 · EPA +3.92Ethan Garbers pass complete to Moliki Matavao for 33 yds to the WASH 31 for a 1ST down
Week 8 · Rutgers · 2&10 · Q4 · EPA +2.94Ethan Garbers pass complete to Moliki Matavao for 25 yds to the 50 yard line for a 1ST down
Week 10 · Nebraska · 2&10 · Q3 · EPA +2.90Ethan Garbers pass complete to Moliki Matavao for 22 yds to the NEB 43 for a 1ST down
Week 8 · Rutgers · 3&6 · Q1 · EPA +2.74Ethan Garbers pass complete to Moliki Matavao for 14 yds to the RUTG 48 for a 1ST down
Week 13 · USC · 2&8 · Q3 · EPA +2.70Ethan Garbers pass complete to Moliki Matavao for 10 yds for a TD (Mateen Bhaghani KICK)
Week 14 · Fresno State · 3&6 · Q1 · EPA +2.69Ethan Garbers pass complete to Moliki Matavao for 13 yds to the FRES 45 for a 1ST down
Week 8 · Rutgers · 2&11 · Q2 · EPA +2.51Ethan Garbers pass complete to Moliki Matavao for 20 yds to the UCLA 44 for a 1ST down
Week 6 · Penn State · 4&3 · Q1 · EPA +2.45Justyn Martin pass complete to Moliki Matavao for 9 yds to the PSU 32 for a 1ST down
Week 1 · Hawai'i · 1&15 · Q4 · EPA +2.45Ethan Garbers pass complete to Moliki Matavao for 20 yds to the HAW 44 for a 1ST down
Week 12 · Washington · 2&2 · Q4 · EPA +2.07Ethan Garbers pass complete to Moliki Matavao for 2 yds for a TD (Two-Point Conversion failed)

Game log

Game log · Week-by-week

2024 season · 11 games

Box score · CFBD

Wk	Opp	REC	YDS	AVG	TD	LONG	Note
Wk 1	W 16-13@ Hawai'i	3	42	14.0	0	20
Wk 3	L 13-42vs Indiana	3	32	10.7	0	15
Wk 4	L 17-34@ LSU	1	11	11.0	0	11
Wk 5	L 13-34vs Oregon	1	21	21.0	0	21
Wk 6	L 11-27@ Penn State	3	18	6.0	0	9
Wk 7	L 17-21vs Minnesota	3	23	7.7	0	9
Wk 8	W 35-32@ Rutgers	6	104	17.3	0	25
Wk 10	W 27-20@ Nebraska	4	52	13.0	0	22
Wk 12	L 19-31@ Washington	7	68	9.7	1	27
Wk 13	L 13-19vs USC	2	15	7.5	1	10
Wk 14	W 20-13vs Fresno State	8	120	15.0	0	35	Season-high 120 yds
Total		41	506	12.1	2	35

Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology