Arizona 'really felt like home' for defensive tackle transfer Chubba Maae

Arizona landed a massive prospect in the transfer portal this week. Literally.

Former UC Davis star defensive tackle Chubba Maae joined Indiana transfer cornerback Jordan Shaw as the first transfer portal pickups for the Wildcats Monday night.

Although he’s listed at 6-2, 347 pounds on UC Davis’ 2023 roster, Maae (pronounced muh-eye) said he’s up to 370 pounds nowadays.

“I take pride in it,” Maae said. “I’ve been a big boy all my life, so I stay true to it.”

Following conversations with Arizona strength and conditioning coach Tyler Owens and head coach Jedd Fisch, Maae’s plan is to “get me down to around 340-345 (pounds)” before the season starts.

In four seasons at UC Davis, Maae recorded 59 tackles, eight stops for loss and two sacks. He’ll join an interior defensive line rotation that is losing starter Tyler Manoa and graduate transfer Sio Nofoagatoto’a, whom are both out of eligibility after this season. Arizona starting nose tackle and senior Bill Norton could potentially return for next season. Arizona is expected to also return junior Tiaoalii Savea and sophomores Jacob Kongaika and Ta’ita’i Uiagalelei, among others.

Maae will bolster Arizona’s interior defensive line and become a “dancing bear.” The role of a dancing bear: occupy blockers, consume space and plug gaps on the line of scrimmage, allowing linebacker Jacob Manu and others to make tackles.

Prior to Maae’s collegiate career, he starred at Long Beach Polytechnic High School, a prominent football program in Southern California that’s produced numerous NFL players (and Snoop Dogg; and Cameron Diaz). Maae played under former UA linebacker and Super Bowl champion Antonio Pierce, who was the head coach of the Jackrabbits; he’s now the interim head coach of the NFL’s Las Vegas Raiders.

Long Beach Poly has sent two players to Arizona since Fisch was hired: left guard Wendell Moe, who was an Associated Press All-Pac-12 Second Team selection this season, and freshman edge rusher Dominic Lolesio. Maae said the Wildcats “built a pipeline through Long Beach Poly,” making his recruitment in the transfer portal easier compared to other programs.

“So they’ve established a pipeline through Long Beach, then Coach (Jason) Kaufusi and Coach (Johnny) Nansen recruited me,” he said.

Maae said the deciding factor for him choosing Arizona “is because when I went on my visit, it didn’t really feel like a visit.”

“It may sound like a cliché, but it really felt like home,” he added. “Hanging out with the guys, we had a bonfire, just singing, playing the guitar, playing dominoes, playing cards, and the camaraderie with the whole team, how much everyone gets along, how much fun they have on and off the field, the energy they bring, it’s something you look forward to.

“It was something I was looking forward to the next day when I was sleeping in the hotel. Arizona is a big-time school, so I chose Arizona because I knew I’d play in the big-game atmosphere I dreamed of when I was a kid. Good people. That’s the main reason why I chose there. Good people.”

Maae is enrolling in January and will be with the Wildcats during spring practices in March and April.

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Maae recently joined ESPN Tucson’s “Spears and Ali” to talk about life outside of football, his role at the UA, playing for Pierce at Long Beach Poly, and joining the Wildcats with the program ascending. Here’s what he said:

What do you like to do outside of football?

A: “The main thing I like to do is anything with music: singing, listening and I’ve learned to play some instruments in my off-time. I like puzzles a lot. I like anything that challenges my brain. I play with my Rubik’s Cube a lot. May sound boring, but that’s just what I like, puzzles.

“I like to break things down and build them back up. I like anything that catches my eye or makes me thing on the spot.”

What’s the largest puzzle you ever assembled, and what’s your record time for solving a Rubik’s Cube?

A: “I don’t know the name of it, but there’s a puzzle that has a bunch of ‘L’ pieces that are connected by a string and you have to figure it all out and make a square. It’s pretty hard. It took me about five minutes (to put it together). For the Rubik’s cube, fastest I ever did it was a minute and a half.

“It helps me use my imagination.”

How do you envision yourself fitting in with Arizona’s defensive line?

A: “The thing that stands out to me is how the D-linemen are utilized. The bigger cats like (Nofoagatoto’a) eat on first and second down and in short situations. You have guys that can pass-rush a little bit faster and get to the quarterback faster, like Jacob Kongaika, Tyler Manoa and Tia Savea. The way they’re able to use all of them and get them consistent amount of plays each and every week depending on the team they’re playing.”

How was it playing for Pierce at Long Beach Poly?

A: “Playing for Pierce at Poly, it was fun. He likes to have fun. It was very competitive. He brought a lot of good coaches. We had (former NFL wide receiver) T.J. Houshmandzadeh, he was our wide receivers coach. Chris Claiborne, he was our linebackers coach. LaVar Arrington, (college football) Hall of Famer, he was another one of our linebackers coach. He had a lot of great guys there.

“The energy (Pierce) brought to the team was unmatched. Also, he’s a great guy. His main thing was having fun and compete. As long as we did those two things, we were going to be alright.”

What is it like for you joining a team that is 9-3 and carrying a ton of momentum going into the program’s first season in the Big 12 in 2024?

A: “Honestly, I wish I could play with them in the bowl game. I wish I could move in already instead of finishing up over here. But I can’t really describe how excited I am. I just want to get out there and get to work.”