Washington coach Jedd Fisch comes out before facing Illinois, Saturday, October 25, 2025 at Husky Stadium, in Seattle. (Dean Rutz / The Seattle Times)
Skip Ad
By
Andy Yamashita
Seattle Times staff reporter
A familiar surname is returning to Seattle.
On Sunday afternoon, Matamatagi Uiagalelei, a 6-foot-3, 240-pound defensive lineman in the 2027 recruiting class from Mater Dei High, announced his commitment to Washington in a post on his social media accounts. He’s the younger brother of defensive tackle Ta’ita’i Uiagalelei, who played for coach Jedd Fisch and defensive line coach Jason Kaufusi at Arizona before transferring to Washington for the 2025 season.
Ta’ita’i Uiagalelei and Matamatagi Uiagalelei are cousins of Oregon edge rusher Matayo Uiagalelei and former Oregon State quarterback DJ Uiagalelei, who also spent stints at Clemson and Florida State and currently plays for the NFL’s Los Angeles Chargers.
Matamatagi Uiagalelei is the seventh player to join UW’s 2027 recruiting class, and the fifth defensive prospect. Counting Matamatagi Uiagalelei, all four of Washington’s most recent commitments have come from defensive prospects. The Huskies added twin linebackers Ethan Coach and Justin Coach on Feb. 12 and received a pledge from linebacker Titus Osterman, the top player in Idaho, on Jan. 31.
According to the 247Sports composite rankings, Matamatagi Uiagalelei is a three-star prospect, the No. 80 player in California, the No. 83 defensive lineman and the No. 751 player nationally early in the 2027 cycle. He held offers from Arizona, Arizona State, Arkansas, Auburn, Colorado, Miami, Michigan, Missouri and UCLA among others.
Matamatagi Uiagalelei’s commitment continues Washington’s strong relationship with Mater Dei, one of the top high school football programs in the country. Matamatagi Uiagalelei is the fifth player from Mater Dei to pledge to join the Huskies since Fisch and his coaching staff arrived at UW.
During the 2025 recruiting cycle, Washington signed quarterback Dash Beierly and wide receiver Marcus Harris after strong senior seasons at Mater Dei. In 2026, Washington flipped composite five-star offensive tackle Kodi Greene, another Mater Dei standout, from Oregon and had a commitment from defensive back CJ Lavender for several months, though he eventually signed with UCLA.
Beierly and Greene remain on UW’s roster for 2026, and Harris transferred to UCLA after one season in Seattle.
Matamatagi Uiagalelei has played in 22 games across three seasons at Mater Dei according to MaxPreps. Playing nine games as a junior in 2025, he made a career-high 28 tackles including 6.5 for a loss, three sacks and two pass deflections.
He’s also the third player from California’s vaunted Trinity League to commit to UW’s 2027 class. The Coach twins currently play at St. John Bosco High.
With his frame, Matamatagi Uiagalelei might be able to play either edge rusher or defensive tackle at Washington. He’s listed 15 pounds lighter and an inch shorter than his brother, Ta’ita’i Uiagalelei, was as a high school recruit.
And while the 6-4, 285-pound Ta’ita’i Uiagalelei played significant snaps at edge rusher early in his career at Arizona, he enjoyed one of his most impactful seasons at Washington, where he exclusively played defensive tackle. He totaled 23 pressures and two sacks in 2025, filling an important role for the Huskies once defensive coordinator Ryan Walters moved away from five-player defensive fronts.
It’s a job Walters appears interested in continuing despite Ta’ita’i Uiagalelei exhausting his eligibility in 2025. Washington signed former Ball State defensive tackle Darin Conley, who boasts a very similar 6-3, 285-pound frame. They also have two incoming freshmen — O’Dea standout David Schwerzel and Mission Viejo High’s JD Hill — who already have similar frames if they don’t add more weight.
UW’s 2027 recruiting class
| Name | Position | Composite rating | Signed? | Height / Weight | School | Hometown |
| *Braylon Pope | WR | ★★★★ | 6-3 / 195 | Sumner High | Sumner, Wash. | |
| Zerek Sidney | WR | ★★★★ | 6-0 / 175 | Desert Edge High | Goodyear, Ariz. | |
| *Maurice Williams | CB | ★★★ | 6-1 / 180 | Graham-Kapowsin High | Graham, Wash. | |
| Ethan Coach | LB | ★★★ | 6-3 / 205 | St. John Bosco High | Bellflower, Calif. | |
| Justin Coach | LB | ★★★ | 6-2 / 205 | St. John Bosco High | Bellflower, Calif. | |
| Matamatagi Uiagalelei | DL | ★★★ | 6-3 / 240 | Mater Dei High | Santa Ana, Calif. | |
| Titus Osterman | ATH | ★★★ | 6-4 / 235 | Kimberly High | Kimberly, Idaho |
*: local recruit
@CallMeBigErn
Andy Yamashita: ayamashita@seattletimes.com. Andy Yamashita is a sports reporter at The Seattle Times, primarily covering Washington Huskies football.
