MM #80

Moliki Matavao

Tight End · UCLA

A towering 6-foot-8 tight end who found a receiving role at UCLA after starting his career at Oregon, now developing behind New Orleans' injury-riddled tight end room.

Moliki Matavao's massive frame and receiving flashes at UCLA made him a seventh-round bet for the Saints in 2025. The Las Vegas native has spent his rookie year bouncing between the active roster and practice squad while working his way into New Orleans' rotation at tight end.

★ Led UCLA in receptions and receiving yards in 2024

★ 74 career catches for 998 yards and 5 touchdowns in college

★ 2025 seventh-round draft pick, No. 248 overall

Path to the league

Matavao, a four-star recruit out of Liberty High School in Henderson, Nevada, began his college career at Oregon in 2021, where he caught 19 passes for 209 yards and three touchdowns over two seasons. He transferred to UCLA for 2023 and 2024, leading the Bruins in receptions and receiving yards in his final season and finishing his college career with 74 catches for 998 yards and five touchdowns. New Orleans selected him with the 248th overall pick in the seventh round of the 2025 NFL Draft.

Career highlights

At 6-foot-8, Matavao stands out physically even among NFL tight ends, and his best college moments came at UCLA, including a seven-catch, 68-yard, one-touchdown outing against Washington and an eight-catch, 120-yard performance in his final regular-season game.

2025 season recap

Matavao opened his rookie season in a special-teams role before being waived and re-signed to New Orleans' practice squad. He moved on and off the active roster as the Saints dealt with season-ending injuries to tight ends Foster Moreau and Jack Stoll, finishing the year with two catches for 10 yards across six appearances.