Matayo Uiagalelei is thrifty. The Oregon pass-rusher doesn’t waste momentum on the field, overexerting to the point of out-leveraging himself on plays or losing contain on quarterbacks.
It’s why his last two sacks, in back-to-back wins against Purdue and Ohio State, have looked so fluid, so easy, and didn’t require brute force. His quick angles and pursuit forced Ohio State’s Will Howard to crumble to the turf before a monster hit from the 6-foot-5, 270-pounder. A week later, Uiaglelei emerged into the backfield unblocked and only needed to slightly shove Purdue’s Ryan Browne in the chest for another.
“I don’t know,” Uiagalelei said this week. “The last couple of weeks they’ve just been falling down. It’s making my sacks look kind of soft.”
Soft? Not the guy his family calls “Young Concrete.
Uiaglelei has emerged as the cornerstone of No. 1 Oregon’s pass rush in the absence of star Jordan Burch, who continues to nurse an injured knee he suffered 48 hours before kickoff against Ohio State in Week 7. Uiagalelei enters a monster showdown Saturday against No. 20 Illinois with sacks in four straight games, a career-best stretch, and is presumably rising up NFL charts for the 2026 draft.
Uiagalelei’s self-deprecation is a typical response whenever he is lauded with recognition. He’s a man of many talents and a perfectionist in some ways. He sacks quarterbacks, he plays upright at outside linebacker and with his hand in the dirt as a rush end, and off the field he’s a music producer, who plays guitar and piano. He paints shoes, he cuts hair and he’s an avid thrifter, shopping for rare clothes, which he repairs and tweaks with a sewing machine at home.
“He’ll never go broke, brother,” his father, David Uiagalelei, said this week with a laugh. “He gets pissed about buying a shirt at a thrift store that’s $5. “‘Dad, look at this. It’s like $5. It’s supposed to be $1.50 or $2!’ Come on, man, I know what you got in your account, bro.”
A former top-50 recruit and the younger brother of Florida State quarterback DJ Uiaglelei, Matayo is forging his path as an elite pass rusher in the Big Ten, but he’s had plenty of help and guidance from his family along the way.
The Brothers Uiagalelei
| Recruiting Class | 2020 | 2023 |
| Position | Quarterback | EDGE (Defensive End) |
| 247Sports Ranking | No. 2 QB, No. 2 Overall | No. 6 EDGE, No. 47 Overall |
| College | Clemson (Signed) | Oregon (Signed) |
| Nickname | Big Cinco | Young Concrete |
| Height/Weight | 6-foot-4, 250 lbs | 6-foot-5, 265 lbs |
The “Young Concrete” nickname was adopted from his uncle, Rob, a music producer known as “Concrete,” a moniker Matayo uses to produce his hip-hop music. Another uncle, Iona, trained him throughout high school at his workout facility in California, The Front. He traveled with his brother, DJ, taking notes on how to deal with coaches during recruiting visits to big schools — from Oregon to Clemson, where DJ enrolled, excelled and then floundered before reemerging at Oregon State and Florida State.
At the center is his father, “Big Dave,” one of the more supportive and zealous parents you’ll find on the sidelines and outside the locker room. His enthusiasm doesn’t go unnoticed by fans or his sons. His overt commentary pushed his oldest son, DJ, to block him on social media.
“He does his best to train and help me and my brother all the time,” Matayo said. “Sometimes I think he does a little extra. I’m like, ‘Dad, just chill. I got it!’ But I know he has a whole lot of love.”
Big Dave laughs at his sons’ reactions to his act, but his plan has worked for both of them.
“Matayo is just like his brother. Both of those two understand that they wouldn’t be where they are if it wasn’t for their hard work.”
Understandably, it’s a strange time for the Uiagalelei family. While the youngest brother blossoms into a star at Oregon, the older brother’s star fades at Florida State. DJ may miss the remainder of the season with a broken finger that required surgery in early October. The surgery forced him to sit out an anticipated showdown with his former team, Clemson, in early October. FSU has disintegrated in real time this season, falling from a top-10 team in the preseason polls to a 1-6 record, the program’s worst start since 1975
The Uiagalelei brothers’ diverting trajectories have led to deep conversations.
“When I talk to him, he’s definitely not happy, but he’s definitely not down on himself,” Matayo said. “He’s not feeling sorry for himself. But, shoot, the situation he’s in, they’re in a tough situation. We talk about football but really, it’s just brother talk, talking about life. He’s hurting. He’s hurt right now, but he’s doing good.”
Brotherly advice is the common theme in their conversations. DJ has been a force in Matayo’s life, guiding him through the recruiting process that ultimately landed him at Oregon. Matayo recalled to CBS Sports this week visiting Oregon when DJ was a recruit in 2017. Matayo, who grew up idolizing the Ducks, was unimpressed after tagging along with DJ to Eugene on a recruiting visit. The staff seemed to care more about style and sizzle than substance.
“It’s not that I didn’t like it, but I just didn’t really think it would be a place for me,” he said. When DJ committed to Clemson, Oregon was cited as the runner-up.
Four years later, Dan Lanning was hired as Oregon’s head coach just as Matayo was emerging as a blue-chip prospect out of St. John Bosco in Bellflower, California. When Lanning and defensive coordinator Tosh Lupoi called Matayo, the high school star cleared his head and opted to visit Eugene in June 2022.
“The perception I had before I came here with Coach Lanning and them was I’m gonna get here, and they’re going to be talking about Nike, we’ve got the nicest facility, and the couch right here is made out of Ferrari leather,” Matayo said. “That’s what I was thinking because that’s what I heard last time. I mean, that stuff is nice and all, don’t get me wrong, but I want to get here and be developed and play at a high level and play for championships.”
Lanning and Co. outlined their plan for Uiagalelei. It was focused on player development rather than luring him into a situation with false promises. It was the mindset he was hoping for.
When Uiagalelei enrolled at Oregon, he went straight to work. On his second day on campus, a strength coach spotted him through a window, working through blocking drills alone on the practice field, hitting the pads just like he did at his uncle’s training facility in high school. On an idle day, Uiagalelei picked up a baseball bat for some batting practice at Oregon’s ballpark. He hadn’t hit a baseball In two years.
“He legitimately stroked like 13 out of the park,” Lupoi said. “Like, holy crap! I’ve watched other guys who actually play baseball take batting practice and that wasn’t the case. He’s got some talents aside from football.”
In Uiaglelei’s apartment, he has a full-fledged DJ setup, which he uses to produce music. “He’s got some pretty legit songs,” Lupoi said.
In the spring of 2023, when injuries piled up at tight end, Lanning asked the freshman to practice on offense, where he split time previously in high school and caught a touchdown pass in a 24-22 championship win against powerhouse Mater Dei a few months earlier. He agreed, but after his first successful practice at tight end, he phoned his father.
“Dad, I think I messed up,” as “Big Dave” recalls. “I should have never caught all those balls. Now they want to play me at tight end.”
After the Ducks’ spring game, Uigalelei returned to outside linebacker full-time, and for the last 18 months, he has focused solely on defense for the first time in his life.
“He hasn’t touched the ceiling because he didn’t play enough in high school,” Dave Uiagalelei said. “He trained with his uncle like a lot of NFL and college guys, but getting real reps on the field is totally different. To me, he was behind going to Oregon and right now he’s just starting to get that feeling. He did good his freshman year, but the last two games, boy, he was starting to understand his power.”
Uiagalelei’s only sacks as a freshman were recorded in the final two games of the regular season. He picked up where he left off in the season opener this fall, piling up two sacks and forcing a fumble in a 24-14 win against Idaho. He earned the highest grade among Big Ten pass rushers in Week 1, according to Pro Football Focus’ analytics. Two weeks later, he blocked a field goal against Oregon State.
“There are people who come in and work, obviously, but he can play anywhere you want and cause havoc,” Oregon offensive tackle Josh Conerly Jr. said this week. “There aren’t a lot of dudes at his size with his speed and ability.”
Then came the big game against Ohio State on Oct. 12, with Burch on crutches and the Ducks rotating more players in the trenches and at linebacker. That placed more pressure on Uiaglelei, Teitum Tuioti, Emar’rion Winston, Jaden Moore and Blake Purchase to produce in Burch’s absence.
“What made it extra tough is all those reps were devoted to [Burch] within that game plan,” Lupoi said. “It was literally the latter part of a Thursday practice when he went down, so certainly some things needed to be adjusted. We had to put guys in a position that didn’t take a single rep at that spot the whole week.”
Uiagalelei piled up a season-high five tackles, including a crucial sack, in the thrilling 32-31 win against the No. 2 Buckeyes, helping the Ducks rocket to No. 1 in the polls two weeks later.
“It’s kinda cliche, but I’m just enjoying the moment and leaving everything on the field every play,” Uiagalelei said. “I have a one-play focus.”
Uiagalelei enters a critical stretch of the season leading Oregon with 5.5 sacks. The Ducks rank third in the Big Ten averaging 2.9 sacks per game.
Much like Uiagalelei found out during the recruiting process, Oregon has emerged as something more than a number next to a name. The Ducks are ranked No. 1 in the country for a reason.
“I think it’s easy to see the glamor and Nike and the uniforms,” he said, “but, shoot, we’re one of the most physical teams in the nation, too.”
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