Eli LedermanJan 16, 2026, 10:11 PM ETCloseEli Lederman covers college football and recruiting for ESPN.com. He joined ESPN in 2024 after covering the University of Oklahoma for Sellout Crowd and the Tulsa World.
Kyle Whittingham: Hiring at Michigan happened quickly (1:48)Kyle Whittingham discusses his choice to leave Utah and meeting the Michigan team for the first time. (1:48)
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.
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.
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.
Kyle Whittingham: Hiring at Michigan happened quickly (1:48)Kyle Whittingham discusses his choice to leave Utah and meeting the Michigan team for the first time. (1:48)
Kyle Whittingham discusses his choice to leave Utah and meeting the Michigan team for the first time. (1:48)
CloseEli Lederman covers college football and recruiting for ESPN.com. He joined ESPN in 2024 after covering the University of Oklahoma for Sellout Crowd and the Tulsa World.