#29

Pailate Makakona

RB · Utah State · Sr. · #29

Utah State 2022 alumnus
This season's coverage starts August 26 — check back once kickoff hits.

Pailate Makakona

RB · Utah State · Sr · #29

Limited signal — not enough coverage for a story yet.

Career Arc

HS
Recruit
No recruit profile
CFB
College
Utah State
2021–2022
NFL
NFL Draft
Not drafted

2025 snapshot

Season context · Team result + system

2021Utah State11-3HC: Blake Anderson · Balanced, fast tempo
2022Utah State6-7HC: Blake Anderson · Run-leaning

Career stats

SeasonTeam
2022Utah State20603.00--
2021Utah State421102.60--
Career621702.70--
SeasonTeam
2022Utah State----------
2021Utah State11010.00--
Career11010.00--

How he plays

Play style

Does a little of everything without one standout trait.

CFB Index positional classification

DNA match

Player DNA

Balanced Back

Plays within the scheme — consistent production without a dominant dimension.

RB

His 2021 production profile sits closest to Amir Rasul’s 2021 season.

Amir Rasul

68%match

Middle Tennessee · 2021

NFL Rd 7
#2

Marcel Murray

Arkansas State · 2020

63%
#3

Kevin Mensah

UConn · 2021

62%
#4

John Gentry

Utah State · 2021

62%
#5

MarShawn Lloyd

South Carolina · 2021

NFL Rd 3 · Pk 25
60%

Matches Amir on

Total rush EPA (college ability)
Yards / carry
EPA / carry (adj)

Differs from Amir on

Receiving share (lower)
Weight (higher)

Through 2 college seasons, his career arc tracks closest to Raiden Hunter’s path through Idaho State.

Raiden Hunter

90%match

Idaho State · 2023

#2

Lamagea McDowell

Prairie View A&M · 2024

88%
#3

John Lovett

Penn State · 2021

85%
#4

Fredderick Graves

North Carolina A&T · 2025

83%
#5

Kevin Mensah

UConn · 2021

81%

Matches Raiden on

Yards per carry
20212022

As a sophomore, his production profile tracks closest to Caleb Komolafe's sophomore season at Northwestern (2024).

Northwestern · 2024

#2

Reggie Love III

Illinois · 2021

71%
#3

John Gentry

Utah State · 2021

69%
#4

Khalan Griffin

Rice · 2021

68%
#5

Zahir Abdus-Salaam

Western Michigan · 2022

67%

Matches Caleb on

EPA / carry (adj)
Receiving share
Yards / carry

Differs from Caleb on

Class year (higher)

Player DNA

Players who play like Pailate Makakona

#1

John Lovett

Penn State · 2021

85%
#2

Kevin Mensah

UConn · 2021

81%
#3

Clyde Price III

Akron · 2022

71%

Development

Development Trajectory · rushing yards

2021–2022
1102021
60.02022

-45%

Sharp dropoff (-45%) — career inflection point.