Arizona had one of the best defenses in college football this past season. With a number of players exhausting their eligibility or pursuing professional football careers, the defensive staff is doing everything it can to ensure the Wildcats’ defense is as productive in 2026 as it was in 2025. Danny Gonzales and Co. are on their way to doing that, landing former USC linebacker Matai Tagoa’i.
The 6-foot-4, 205-pound linebacker is a native of Las Vegas, Nevada, but played his senior year of high school in San Clemente, California and was one of the top linebackers in the 2025 recruiting class a year ago. Per 247Sports.com Composite, Tagoa’i was the No. 8 player from California, 6th-best linebacker, and No. 102 overall prospect in the class of 2025, holding offers from 25 schools including Alabama, BYU, Georgia, Miami, Texas, Washington, and more.
As a true freshman at USC, he appeared in eight games, mostly on special teams as a reserve player, recording four tackles on the season. His best performance came in the season opener against Missouri State, where he recorded two tackles and a forced fumble.
He will have three years of eligibility remaining in Tucson. With Max Harris‘ collegiate career coming to an end, Tagoa’i joins a linebacker room that will be led by Taye Brown, Chase Kennedy, rising sophomore Myron Robinson, and Memphis transfer Everett Roussaw Jr.
With the commitment from Matai Tagoa’i, the Arizona Wildcats have added seven new players on defense. He is the second linebacker picked up through the portal, joining Roussaw Jr., and is also the second USC transfer to join the Wildcats, alongside wide receiver DJ Jordan, who signed earlier in the week.
A full list of Arizona’s incoming and outgoing transfer portal activity is available on our Transfer Portal Tracker here.
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