#36: Tuli Wily-Matagi - Tight End
A natural athlete with an imposing 6’ 4”, 260-pound frame, Tuli Wily-Matagi came to Oregon State in 2015 as a physical “freak of a talent” without a position. In high school, Wily-Matagi was an all-state basketball player, a quarterback on the football team and a top 100 position prospect at the defensive end spot, who entered college with more questions than answers. Despite his agility and strength, would Wily-Matagi have enough technique and poise to impact the game on the defensive end in the Pac-12? A few years later, that plan is a serious afterthought.
Heading into the 2017 campaign, there’s no doubt in anyone’s mind that Tuli Wily-Matagi is a tight end at this point in the game, with serious potential to impact the Beavers offense going forward. In the team’s Spring Game earlier this year, the redshirt sophomore caught a touchdown pass from quarterback Darell Garretson and looked like a natural at the converted position. While he’s still likely to fill a backup role behind the more refined option in Noah Togiai, Wily-Matagi is gifted enough as a “pure football player” to make his presence felt.
There’s a chance that Wily-Matagi’s most well-known role this season could be on special teams or in a hybrid type of position offensively, but at the end of the day, the fact of the matter is his name will be known. Too much of a talent to keep off the field, Wily-Matagi is ready to start logging some valuable field time for what should be a much improved Beavers team.
The List So Far
#36: Tuli Wily-Matagi - TE
#37: Doug Taumoelau - ILB
#38: Shemar Smith - OLB
#39: Hamilcar Rashed Jr. - OLB
#40: David Morris - S/OLB
#41: Nick Porebski - P
#42: Omar Hicks-Onu - S
#43: Isaac Garcia - DE
#44: Andre Bodden- WR
#45: Trajon Cotton - S
#46: Shemiah Unutoa-Whitson - OLB
#47: Kolby Taylor - WR
#49: Jordan Choukair & Adley Rutschman - K
#50: Thor Katoa - DT/OLB