Missouri’s running back room has another new face, and this one comes with a little bit of everything: mileage, production, and the kind of background that makes him stand out even in a crowded position group.
Malae Fonoti arrived in the transfer portal last January after two seasons at FCS Montana, joining Xai'Shaun Edwards as one of two FCS backs Missouri brought in during that window. Edwards drew the bigger spotlight as an FCS Freshman All-American and 1,000-yard rusher from Houston Christian.
Fonoti, listed at 5-foot-10 and 209 pounds, was the quieter addition - but Missouri clearly liked what he could add. He’ll wear No. 21 for the Tigers in 2026.
He also brings a first for Eli Drinkwitz’s program, according to quick research: Fonoti is the first Hawai'i native to play for Missouri under Drinkwitz. That connection matters a little more when you look at the staff.
Corey Batoon, the third-year defensive coordinator, was born in Honolulu and coached at Hawaii in 2018-19. Safeties coach Jacob Yoro was born in Mililani, played at Hawai'i, coached Hawai'i high schools from 2002-08, then coached at Hawai'i from 2017-23 before joining Mizzou as a senior defensive analyst in 2024.
Fonoti is from La'ie and starred at Kahuku High School, but his football story started far from home. His father works in the U.S.
Army, and the family moved from Honolulu to Anchorage, Alaska, then Florida, and eventually back to Hawaii. Fonoti was five when he first learned football.
He also took to power-lifting and bowling - he consistently scores in the 200s - but football was the sport that stuck. He started out on the offensive line before moving to running back a year later.
Back in Hawaii, he connected with friends at a local park while in middle school and was introduced to Kahuku coach Sterling Carvalho. At the time, Fonoti wore glasses, had a ponytail, and picked up the nickname Squints.
Once he settled in at Kahuku, he became a major piece of the program. An injury pushed him into the starting lineup as a junior, and he responded with 815 rushing yards, a 5.2-yard average, and 14 touchdowns. Kahuku finished 12-2 and won its second straight state title, and Fonoti earned all-state recognition from the Honolulu Star-Advertiser, which profiled him before his senior season.
The family athleticism runs deep. Fonoti’s father, Va'aimalae Fonoti Jr., was a high-school running back.
His uncle, the late Joe Taufete'e, also played running back in high school. His older sister, Margaret, played rugby at Central Washington.
Football is a full-family obsession, too. The Star-Advertiser reported that Fonoti’s younger siblings, Siua and Mathias, root for the Chiefs and Chargers, respectively.
Dad is a Chargers fan, Margaret and mom, Sao, both back the 49ers, and Fonoti says he’s a Steelers fan. He also loves watching Atlanta running back Bijan Robinson.
Outside football, Fonoti is into J. Cole, scary movies, and Avatar: The Way of Water. He used to spend hours playing Overwatch and Call of Duty as a kid before football took over.
His high school résumé kept growing from there. In the 2022 state title game, he ran for 112 yards in Kahuku’s 20-0 win. In the 2023 state semifinals, he piled up 155 yards and two touchdowns in a 28-16 victory, then followed that with 116 yards in a 21-19 championship-game win a week later.
As a senior, he helped his mom around the house while his dad was stationed at Fort Cavazos, Texas, but football still came first. A three-star recruit, Fonoti chose Montana over offers from Army, Hawaii, San Diego State, and Portland State.
At Montana, he showed right away that he could make an impact without taking over a game plan. As a freshman, he played in three games to preserve his redshirt, but his debut was loud: 176 rushing yards and a touchdown in a 59-2 win over Morehead State.
That performance earned him Big Sky Player of the Week honors. Later in the FCS playoffs, he showed he could do more than carry the ball, finishing with four rushes for 12 yards and three catches for 19 yards.
"Sometimes, when young guys haven't played a lot and they go in the game, it's not productive for the team," Bobby Hauck, then Montana's head coach, said of Fonoti's performance. "But he was productive for the team."
In 2025, Fonoti’s role expanded as Montana went 13-2 and reached the FCS semifinals. He logged 48 carries for 184 yards and four touchdowns, along with 10 receptions for 97 yards. Pro Football Focus credited him with blocking on approximately 28% of his 134 total snaps, another sign of the all-around value he brought to the Grizzlies.
That blend of experience and flexibility is part of why Missouri targeted him in January. The Tigers had already kept All-American Ahmad Hardy and Jamal Roberts, who led the rushing attack in 2025 - a unit that finished first in the SEC and in the Top-10 nationally. But the depth chart thinned out behind them, with Marquis Davis leaving for Louisville, Brendon Haygood heading to North Texas, and Tavorus Jones transferring to UTEP.
So Missouri went back to the FCS well. Along with Edwards and Fonoti, the Tigers retained fifth-year veteran Anthony Favrow and signed freshmen Max Warner and Preston Hatfield.
Fonoti made enough of an impression this spring to earn a public nod from Drinkwitz. At the 'Zou to You fan event in Springfield in May, Drinkwitz said, "He had a really good spring, took a ton of reps for us," Drinkwitz said in May at the 'Zou to You' fan event in Springfield. "Feel good about him."
That matters now more than ever. Hardy is still recovering from a gunshot wound suffered over the summer, so the backs behind him have moved up as camp has unfolded. Through the first couple weeks of fall camp, Roberts has been at RB1, Edwards at RB2, and Fonoti at RB3.
Missouri’s running back pipeline has been a strength since Drinkwitz and Curtis Luper arrived in 2020. The Tigers have had the SEC’s leading rusher and a Doak Walker Award finalist in three of the last five years. Luper said before fall camp, "We take a lot of pride in that," then added, "But that's not enough for us."
Fonoti is stepping into that environment now. He arrives with a résumé that already includes production, a track record of versatility, and enough experience to fit into a room that expects a lot. If Missouri keeps getting the kind of work out of its backs that it has under Drinkwitz and Luper, Fonoti should be ready when his turn comes.
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