Oregon tight ends Moliki Matavao, Terrance Ferguson ready to build on strong freshman seasons

Moliki Matavao and Terrance Ferguson can both instantly recall their “welcome to college football” moments as early enrollees last spring.

“The biggest one I remember is probably when I was going against Dru Mathis, one of the old linebackers,” Matavao said. “I was sitting in protection, and he’s an old-head; came in and got me right in the head and knocked me down. I said, ‘Oh God, alright, let’s play football.'”

“It was practice, end of spring last year,” Ferguson said, laughing as he recalled the memory. “(Jake Shipley), I squeezed on a cross and he put me on my butt. … I popped up with a smile and went back at it. It’s something to remember, though.”

It was just over a year ago that Matavao and Ferguson arrived at Oregon as early enrollees from the class of 2021 with no shortage of hype surrounding them. Both players were consensus 4-star prospects, with On3 tabbing Ferguson as the No. 5 tight end in the nation, and Matavao the No. 6 tight end.

Despite the tremendous physical talent that each of them flashed last spring, though, few expected Ferguson and Matavao to play right away in 2021 due to the depth the Ducks already had in their tight end room.

But that’s exactly what both players did.

DJ Johnson was Oregon’s most productive returning tight end, but he ultimately played most of his snaps on the defensive side of the ball last season. Patrick Herbert and Cam McCormick both went down with season-ending injuries early in the year, and Spencer Webb was surpassed on the depth chart by the Ducks’ pair of first-year phenoms.

So, as a true freshman, Ferguson led all Oregon tight ends with 369 snaps, and Matavao played 295, while Webb rotated in as well and played 276.

Now, with a year under each of their respective belts, the chatter surrounding Ferguson and Matavao this spring has been incredibly optimistic as both are expected to take on an even greater role and up their offensive production in 2022.

“Me and (Matavao) are really close,” Ferguson said. “That’s like my best friend off the field. We get a lot of extra work in and get a lot of meetings where we learn a little bit more about playing “H” and “A” together.

“I think when we’re on the field together, we both kind of know what we’re doing and know what each other is doing.”

Ferguson and Matavao are both prepping to play wherever they are needed In Kenny Dillingham’s offense. For Matavao, that has even included moving out to “Z” receiver in certain situations.

As Matavao noted, if the Ducks are in 13-personnel, “the tight end can be anywhere.”

Matavao said Dillingham has been finding “more explosive ways” to move the offense down the field vertically, which has been a reason for excitement among Oregon’s pass-catchers.

“I think that’s really what we were missing last year,” Matavao said. “So right now, we’re looking really explosive. As a tight-end unit, I think we have a lot of depth and a lot of competition among all of us. It’s fun to be playing with them.”

Both players still have areas to improve, of course. Last season, Pro Football Focus issued Ferguson a pass-blocking grade of 26.4, which is far below average and was the second-worst grade among all Pac-12 tight ends. Matavao thrived as a pass-blocker, according to PFF, and received a grade of 72.0, which was the fifth-best mark in the conference.

But he received below-average grades as both a receiver and a run-blocker.

“I wouldn’t say I was satisfied, I think I could do a lot more on the field,” Ferguson said when asked if he met his own expectations last season. “But just doing what’s best for the team — I think I went in there and did my role; blocked, caught a couple balls, and did what I needed to do.

“But I think I can do a lot more.”

In Dillingham’s offense, don’t be surprised if “more” from Ferguson and Matavao equates to an uptick in tangible production. They, and countless other Duck players, have raved about the potential to open up the passing game that Dillingham’s offense presents.

“It’s fun playing football right now,” Matavao said. “It’s a lot of fun.”