Michigan Wolverines signee Salesi Moa earns five-star rating in final Rivals300 rankings

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Salesi Moa, one of Michigan’s latest additions to its 2026 roster, might turn out to be one of its biggest.

The 6-foot-2, 175-pound Moa was named a five-star prospect by Rivals on Tuesday, locking in his spot as one of the nation’s elite recruits in the final rankings release of the 2026 cycle. Moa was a longtime commit to Tennessee but flipped his commitment to Utah on National Signing Day and inked with the home state Utes.

But after the program replaced head coach Kyle Whittingham with coach-in-waiting Morgan Scalley, Moa began to have second thoughts. Despite already enrolling at Utah, he opted to enter the NCAA Transfer Portal as what Rivals designates a “short-term signee.”

Those are recruits who enroll at the institution they sign with but enter the transfer portal before actually attending classes at that university. Moa entered the portal on January 12, and four days later committed to play for Whittingham again, who was hired by the Wolverines to replace Sherrone Moore.

Not only did Michigan hire Whittingham, it also brought on his primary recruiter at Utah, wide receivers coach Micah Simon, as well as his uncle, defensive line coach Lewis Powell. For now, the dynamic two-way athlete will begin his career receiver but also is an extremely talented defensive back.

“Salesi Moa is one of the more interesting prospects among the five-star group in that he could be an impact player with NFL draft-ability at three different positions,” Rivals’ Director of Scouting and Rankings Charles Power writes. “He was a star receiver in high school, also a hyper-physical safety, but what really got us excited was seeing him play corner at Polynesian Bowl practices. He was Rivals’ MVP at the Poly Bowl and really locked down his side of the ball in man coverage and I think that adds another layer to his evaluation. It’s very possible that we could see him play on both sides of the ball in his career at Michigan. When you look at his size and athleticism, he’s around 6-foot-2, 175 pounds, tests as an outstanding athlete.

…The fluidity and instincts make me not rule out Moa being a first round type of corner if that’s where he ends up sticking. But regardless, a phenomenal player and one who we wouldn’t be surprised to see make an impact on both sides of the ball in Ann Arbor. A lot of prospects will say they want to play both ways, but Moa actually has that ability.”

Moa is coming off a huge senior season

Moa, who was previously ranked as the nation’s No. 70 overall prospect, moves up to No. 30 in the final rankings and secure his spot as the nation’s No. 1 athlete. As a senior, Moa hauled 63 catches and 1,272 yards and 16 touchdowns as a senior in 2025, averaging 20.2 yards per catch.

On defense, he added 57 tackles and three interceptions. He was also one of the biggest standouts at this month’s Polynesian Bowl, taking home MVP honors after announcing his commitment.

Moa is the third five-star addition of the cycle for the Wolverines, who also signed No. 1 running back Savion Hiter and No. 2 edge rusher Carter Meadows.

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