5-Star Athlete Salesi Moa Commits to Tennessee over Michigan, Utah

Tennessee football has secured a commitment from one of the top athletes in the class of 2026.

Salesi Moa, a five-star athlete out of Ogden, Utah, announced his commitment to Tennessee over Michigan and Utah during a Thursday livestream with CBS Sports.

Moa is ranked as the No. 31 prospect and No. 2 athlete in the 2026 class by 247Sports composite rankings.

He was recruited "equally hard on both sides of the ball," according to 247Sports national recruiting analyst Greg Biggins.

Moa recorded 58 catches for 800 yards and 10 touchdowns during his junior 2024 season. He also racked up 335 yards on punt and kick returns in addition to 40 tackles and two pick-sixes, per 247Sports.

Biggins wrote that Moa often works out at a wide receiver during 7v7 events but that he "shows a ton of range at safety" and is also a "tough, solid tackler."

He added that Moa "could legitimately be a two-way player in college and has the all around skill set to be a high NFL round draft pick."

Moa told 247Sports' Ryan Callahan in June that Tennessee wide receivers coach Kelsey Pope told him he could choose wherever he wanted to play in their lineup.

"Just Coach Pope showing me that, like, I could play all around the offense — not just one position — also, like, slot and outside receiver," Moa told Callahan. "He can move me around. He was just showing me where I could play. Both sides of the ball want me — like, both coaches — so they said, if I don't want to play offense, I can play defense."

Moa's father, Ben, was a former tight end for Utah and later a professional MMA fighter. His brothers Aisea and Sione are both linebackers who played for BYU last season before entering the transfer portal and committing to Michigan State and UConn, respectively.

The youngest Moa will now join five-star quarterback Faizon Brandon and five-star offensive tackle Gabriel Osenda as some of the most highly anticipated players in Tennessee's 2026 recruiting class, per 247Sports.

This marks the second win in four days for Tennessee coach Josh Heupel, who also recently secured a commitment from four-star athlete Joel Wyatt.

The commitments of Moa and Wyatt helped the Volunteers rank No. 9 in 247Sports national recruiting class rankings for 2026.