Kiko Mauigoa, raised in American Samoa, became a tackling machine at Miami before the Jets drafted him in 2025.
Francisco "Kiko" Mauigoa grew up in American Samoa and started his college career at Washington State before finishing at Miami, where he led the Hurricanes in tackles as a green-dot linebacker. The Jets drafted him in the fifth round in 2025, and he earned a starting role as a rookie before a neck injury ended his season.
Path to the league
Mauigoa played two seasons at Washington State from 2021 to 2022 before transferring to Miami, where he started for two more seasons and wore the green dot as the Hurricanes' defensive play-caller. The Jets selected him in the fifth round, 162nd overall, in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Career highlights
Across four college seasons, Mauigoa totaled 255 tackles, 35 tackles for loss, 13 sacks, 12 pass deflections, six forced fumbles and three interceptions. He earned second-team All-ACC honors at Miami and posted a career-high 96 tackles as a senior in 2024.
2025 season recap
Mauigoa played 12 games with eight starts as a rookie, recording 45 tackles for the Jets. He was placed on injured reserve on December 26, 2025, after suffering a neck injury.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Francisco Mauigoa
- New York Jets: Francisco Mauigoa draft profile
Statistics
2025 season and career2025 Season · Defense
12 games played▶Defense · career
| Year | Team | GP | TOT | SOLO | SACK | INT | FF | FR | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | jets | 12 | 45 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Player Profile
Background
- Position
- Linebacker
- Group
- defense
- College
- Miami
- Hometown
- ILI'ILI, American Samoa
- Age
- 23
- Status
- active
