Michigan transfer ATH Salesi Moa earns fifth star

Michigan transfer portal signee Salesi Moa technically won’t count towards the Wolverines’ 2026 recruiting class, but he’s officially the third five-star prospect to join the program this year. Rivals named him the No. 30 recruit in the country in the final rankings update of the cycle. 

The Ogden (Utah) Fremont High standout and short term Utah signee jumped 40 spots up from No. 70 nationally. He’s now the No. 1 ATH in the nation and retains his title as the top-ranked recruit in Utah. Moa competed in the Under Armour All-American Game and the Polynesian Bowl and impressed Rivals’ talent evaluators. 

“Dynamic two-way athlete with tremendous fluidity and burst,” Rivals national scout Cody Bellaire wrote recently. “Has the top-end speed and hip looseness to separate at every level of the field as a receiver. Needs to develop stronger hands away from his frame but is comfortable attacking the football in the air at high point. 

“As a corner, he has the length, build and athletic ability to cover any size receiver. Physical and willing box defender that can strike ball carriers. Receiver ability translates when attacking the football in the air. Has the potential to be an impact player on either side of the ball.”

Moa was a fixture in Rivals’ Top 100 throughout the process. They always considered him one of the top two-way athletes in his class. Kyle Whittingham recruited him to play both sides of the ball at Utah. Wide receivers coach Micah Simon played a significant role in his recruitment alongside defensive ends coach Lewis Powell— Moa’s uncle. 

The electric athlete was a Ute legacy recruit and flipped from Tennessee to his home-state school during the early signing window. After enrolling at Utah, he decided to enter the portal as a short term signee and quickly found his new collegiate home at Michigan. 

He announced the decision during the Polynesian Bowl. Moa recorded an interception during the game and earned MVP honors from Rivals after a dominant week. 

“Salesi Moa made headlines on and off the field at the Polynesian Bowl,” Rivals director of scouting and rankings wrote. “The one-time Utah signee entered the transfer portal mid-week, and announced his commitment to Michigan during Friday’s game. On the field, Moa looked like the top defensive back on hand in Hawaii. The talented athlete prospect lined up at cornerback for Team Makai and shut down his side of the field during competitive practice and Friday’s game. 

“Moa won every rep we saw him take during 1-on-1’s in Wednesday’s practice, showing excellent fluidity, instincts, and ball skills. During the game, he quickly triggered on a route and for a would-be pick-six had he not been falsely ruled out of bounds. Though he’s expected to start out on offense in college, the top 100 prospect looks to have considerable upside on defense and could feasibly be an impact player at wide receiver, corner, or safety for the Wolverines.”