Running back, Western Michigan, 2025–⁠26

Ofa Mataele

Number
No. 24
Height
6′0″
Weight
219 lb
Class (2026)
Senior
Hometown
East Palo Alto, CA

Ofa Mataele plays running back for Western Michigan. Last time out, at Central Michigan: 13 carries, 60 yards.

2026 so far

197 rushing yards, 1 TD

Last game: 13 carries, 60 yards at Central Michigan, W 21–⁠14

Next game: at Toledo, Oct 24

Game by game this season, rushing yards
  1. 16@MICH
  2. 28MONM
  3. 62@RICE
  4. 19BOIS
  5. 5@BUF
  6. 7KENT
  7. 60@CMU

Filled bars: wins; outlined: losses.

Career highs

2rushing touchdowns, career highvs. Rhode Island, 2025

Team titles: MAC champions, 2025

Rushing

Rushing yards, season by season, with his team’s record

* The season in progress, so far.

SeasonTeamCarYdsAvgTDLong
2025Western Michigan572524.4322
2026Western Michigan491974.0123
Career1064494.2423

Receiving

SeasonTeamRecYdsAvgTDLong
2025Western Michigan581.603
2026Western Michigan7253.6013
Career12332.8013

Season lines from CollegeFootballData, regular season and bowls.

On the roster

SeasonTeamNo.PosClassHtWt
2025Western Michigan24RBJr.
2026Western Michigan24RBSr.6′0″219

As each season’s roster listed the player (CollegeFootballData). Classes before the latest listing are counted back from it; “Yr 1” is the year on file where that count can’t place a season he played (a redshirt, transfer or 2020 year); height and weight as last listed.

Per play

SeasonTeamPlaysEPA/playPctileMedianTotalUsageAdj. rush
2025Western Michigan65-0.0217th (n=576)0.10-1.59%0.05
2026Western Michigan54-0.0026th (n=478)0.10-0.213%0.11

Expected points added: how much the player’s plays moved the team’s expected score, per play and in total. Plays: total EPA divided by EPA per play, the plays the source credits to him (for a receiver roughly his catches and runs, not every target; for a passer, not every attempt), so it can differ from attempts plus carries. Percentile: against the position’s regulars that season across all divisions on file (quarterbacks with 150+ plays, backs 60+, receivers and tight ends 30+), with how many there were (n) and their median; a dash means too few plays to rank. A season in progress uses the full-season bar scaled by games played, never below 75 plays for quarterbacks, 30 for backs and 20 for receivers. The cohort grows or shrinks with the source’s coverage each season (2025 lists far more players), so compare percentiles rather than raw EPA across years. FCS seasons are marked. Usage: the share of the team’s plays the player was part of (shown from 20 plays). Adjusted pass and rush: EPA per play adjusted for the defenses faced (CollegeFootballData’s WEPA). From CollegeFootballData, 2013 on.

Rushing detail

SeasonTeamSuccessLine yardsSecond levelOpen fieldStuffed
2025Western Michigan43%3.200.800.609%
2026Western Michigan44%3.201.000.406%

Where his yards came from, per carry: line yards are the ones credited to the blockers (the first few, and losses), second level the yards 5 to 10 past the line, open field those beyond 10. Success: carries that kept the offense on schedule. Stuffed: carries stopped at or behind the line. From CollegeFootballData, FBS games, 2025 on.

Game by game

2026 Western Michigan 7 games, 197 rushing yards, 1 TD
DateOpponentResultCarYdsTDLongRecRec yds
Sep 5atMichiganL 12–⁠1341608––
Sep 12vs.MonmouthW 49–⁠14428016––
Sep 19atRiceW 28–⁠2111621232−1
Sep 26vs.Boise StateL 7–⁠3251908219
Oct 3atBuffaloW 20–⁠178509––
Oct 10vs.Kent StateW 38–⁠7470237
Oct 17atCentral MichiganW 21–⁠141360012––
2025 Western Michigan 12 games, 252 rushing yards, 3 TD
DateOpponentResultCarYdsTDLongRecRec yds
Sep 6vs.North TexasL 30–⁠33––––––
Sep 13atIllinoisL 0–⁠3884602112
Sep 20vs.ToledoW 14–⁠13290522
Sep 27vs.Rhode IslandW 47–⁠141060222––
Oct 4atMassachusettsW 21–⁠35180913
Oct 11vs.Ball StateW 42–⁠051515––
Oct 25atMiami (OH)L 17–⁠2651205––
Nov 1vs.Central MichiganW 24–⁠21421011––
Nov 11vs.OhioW 17–⁠13380611
Nov 18atNorthern IllinoisW 35–⁠19519011––
Dec 6vs.Miami (OH)W 23–⁠13620012––
Dec 19 ✦vs.Kennesaw StateW 41–⁠6424014––

Box scores from CollegeFootballData, 2004 on. ✦ postseason; ★ a career high on file.

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