Former Utah signee Salesi Moa, ESPN's No. 6 wide receiver and No. 38 overall prospect in the 2026 class, will sign with Michigan out of the transfer portal, he announced Friday.
A 6-foot-2, 185-pound recruit from Ogden, Utah, Moa entered the transfer portal under a "do not contact" tag Monday, five weeks after he flipped his pledge from Tennessee to Utah and signed with the program Dec. 3. Moa, who announced his commitment in Honolulu during the 2026 Polynesian Bowl, lands with the Wolverines and former Utes coach Kyle Whittingham as the third-ranked member in Michigan's 2026 recruiting class.
According to sources close to Moa's recruitment, Whittingham's Dec. 12 exit from Utah -- one week after the early period closed Dec. 5 -- and subsequent staff changes under new coach Morgan Scalley were key drivers behind Moa entering the transfer portal earlier this week.
Whittingham, the Utes' all-time winningest coach, won 177 games across 21 seasons in charge of Utah from 2005 to 2025. He signed a five-year deal to take over the Wolverines on Dec. 26, arriving after former Michigan coach Sherrone Moore was fired Dec. 10 because of an alleged inappropriate relationship with a staffer and "untruthful statements" provided during a related investigation.
Sources told ESPN that Moa limited his contact this week exclusively to coaching staffs previously involved in his recruitment after his name landed in the transfer portal. Upon committing to the Wolverines, he reunites not only with Whittingham but also former Utes offensive coordinator Jason Beck, a critical figure in Moa flipping to Utah late last year.
Moa had 63 catches for 1,272 yards and 16 touchdowns during his senior season at Utah's Fremont High School this past fall and projects as a potential Day 1 playmaking receiver for Michigan quarterback Bryce Underwood. Moa follows five-star defensive end Carter Meadows (No. 23 overall) and No. 2 running back Savion Hiter (No. 27) as the third top-40 recruit in the Wolverines' 2026 class, which released four signees after Moore's firing last month.
Moa's move continues a run of former Utah players following Whittingham to Michigan in 2026. The Wolverines have added four portal transfers who played under Whittingham this month, headlined by John Henry Daley, the nation's No. 6 sack leader in 2025, defensive tackle Jonah Lea'ea and cornerback Smith Snowden, a multiyear starter at Utah.
