Maika Matelau holds the LG · Starter spot in Illinois Fighting Illini’s offensive line room. Where he sits among the room’s front-line roles:

Maika Matelau is a left guard for the Illinois Fighting Illini. The 6'3", 300-pound transfer from Mt. San Antonio College was ranked the No. 1 junior college interior lineman in the nation by recruiting services and No. 16 junior college player overall. Originally from Upland, California, Matelau earned three stars as a high school recruit and played for coach Darryl Thomas at Upland High School. He served a two-year mission to Tonga before attending Mt. San Antonio, where he received offers from programs including Boise State, BYU, Colorado, Michigan State, Nebraska, Oklahoma State, Utah, and Washington State. Matelau is majoring in exploratory studies.