Utah transfer Moa follows Whittingham, picks U-M

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 on Friday.

A 6-foot-2, 185-pound recruit from Ogden, Utah, Moa entered the transfer portal under a “do not contact” tag on Monday, five weeks after he flipped his pledge from Tennessee to Utah and signed with the program on 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 on Dec. 5 — and subsequent staff changes under new coach Morgan Scalley were key drivers behind Moa’s decision to enter the transfer portal earlier this week.

Whittingham, the Utes’ all-time winningest coach, won 177 games across 21 seasons in charge of Utah from 2005-25. He signed a five-year deal to take over the Wolverines on Dec. 26, arriving in the wake of former Michigan coach Sherrone Moore, who was fired on Dec. 10 over 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 ex-Utes offensive coordinator Jason Beck, a critical figure in Moa’s decision to flip to the 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 target for Michigan quarterback Bryce Underwood. He 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 following 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 transfer 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 multi-year starter at Utah.