Maika Matelau had scholarship offers out of Upland High School from BYU, Kansas, Virginia, Arizona State and Nebraska, among others. But after graduation, the Ontario (Calif.) native put his faith ahead of football and went on a two-year mission to Tonga, putting off his college career.
But Matelau has no regrets about his time away from the game.
"I was able to learn resilience being on my own. It was a great experience for me," Matelau told Illini Inquirer. " I went to Tonga. I'm Tongan myself. I had never been there before, so it was good for me to catch up on my roots. I think I just learned a lot about my faith, a lot about me."
Plus, Matelau has returned to the game and once again earned exciting opportunities for his football future. Now at Mt. San Antonio College near Los Angeles, Matelau has reemerged as one of the best JUCO offensive linemen in the country, earning scholarship offers from several Power Four programs. 247Sports ranks him the No. 19 overall JUCO prospect in the Class of 2026 and the No. 1 JUCO interior offensive line prospect.
This weekend, Matelau took an official visit to Illinois.