Michigan football fans have been waiting years for the Wolverines to sign a five-star wide receiver recruit. On Tuesday, that dream became a reality, in a roundabout sort of way.
Salesi Moa, one of the top recruits in the 2026 class, technically transferred to Michigan football after being a short-term signee of the Utah Utes under head coach Kyle Whittingham.
After his brother landed in Ann Arbor, Moa entered the portal, eventually signing with Wolverines. He was ranked as a four-star recruit when he signed with Michigan. Now, after a final update for the Rivals recruiting rankings in 2026, Moa has received his fifth star.
Salesi Moa is five-star wide receiver Michigan football has waited for
The 6-foot-2, 190-pound athlete could play wide receiver or cornerback. He told reporters shortly after his commitment to Michigan that he planned to play on both sides of the ball. He was ranked as the best athlete in the portal for a reason.
He ran the 100-meter dash in 11 seconds flat as a sophomore back in 2024 via 247 Sports. So he's got the kind of speed that the Wolverines have been missing in the wide receiver room for years.
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— The Winged Helmet (@TWH_Chris) January 27, 2026
Moa moved up so much in the rankings that he even rates ahead of Ohio State signee Chris Henry, at least according to Rivals. The bigger story is that Michigan football has loaded up on wide receiver talent to pair with quarterback Bryce Underwood.
Moa is a freshman who will contribute right away. Travis Johnson is another incoming freshman who can play right away, to go along with three sophomores: Andrew Marsh, JJ Buchanan, and Jaime French, that over the next two years could be the deepest wide receiver group Michigan has had since the days of Braylon Edwards.