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UteNation Countdown to Kickoff: No. 15 Malone Mataele


There are just 15 days left in the UteNation Countdown to Kickoff and today brings us to no. 15 Malone Mataele. The 5-foot-11 cornerback saw action in 11 games with five starts in 2021, tallying up 28 tackles, two pass break ups, and an interception. He has been a consistent presence in the secondary since stepping onto campus back in 2018 and should play another big role in 2022 at the ever important nickelback position.


UteNation Take

After showing the fluidity and man coverage skills needed to play nickel, Mataele made the change from safety early on in his time at Utah. Since then, he has been a mainstay on the defense and is one of the veterans of a group that got really banged up in 2021.

As Utah's base defense has adapted and played more 4-2-5 to keep up with the passing offenses, Mataele's role has grown over the years. He’s had an encouraging offseason, as the coaches talked glowingly about his development and play. That strong spring was encouraging, after a rough performance by Mataele in the Rose Bowl.

One interesting development to follow will be the progression of cornerbacks Zemaiah Vaughn and Faybian Marks. While there’s a lot of faith in Mataele at nickel back, the leash could be a little shorter in 2022, as Clark Phillips can shift inside. The staff will hope that Mataele continues to improve and take the Rose Bowl as a learning moment, once regular season action hits.


Remembering Mataele's Recruitment

As a 5.7 rated three-star athlete (no. 29, athlete according to Rivals) Mataele committed to the Utes early in May of 2017. He had offers from over three-quarters of the Pac-12 schools, and initially committed to Utah because of their success with sending running backs to the NFL. However, despite a less productive year as the featured back at Santa Margarita Catholic HS, he was still considered a valuable recruit for the defensive side of the ball.


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