Tennessee Volunteers head coach Josh Heupel secured a commitment from five-star athlete Salesi Moa, whom picked the Vols over the Utah Utes. Samantha Madar/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Utah football loses out on No. 1 in-state recruit

Originally posted on Utah Utes on SI | By Cole Forsman | Last updated Jul 31, 2025 4:03 PM ET

Five-star athlete Salesi Moa has decided to take his talents out of state and play for Tennessee.

Moa, the No. 1-ranked high school player in the state of Utah, announced his decision to commit to Tennessee over the Utes on Thursday in a somewhat surprising move from the Fremont High School standout. Utah was projected to land Moa earlier this month before he pushed his commitment date, allowing the Volunteers to make one final push at the 6-foot-2, 190-pound rising senior.

Moa chose Tennessee over his other finalists Utah, Michigan, Michigan State and Washington.

Kyle Whittingham and his staff hosted Moa on an official visit to campus at the end of May.

Who is Salesi Moa?

The Utes recruited Moa to help out on offense at wide receiver, per 247Sports, though he also mentioned desires of playing on both sides of the ball in college. He was quite the two-way standout at Fremont, hauling in 21 touchdown receptions and over 1,600 receiving yards over the past two seasons, in addition to making an impact in the secondary unit.

Moa's versatility and athleticism earned him a five-star grade on 247Sports Composite rankings, which also had him as the No. 31 prospect and the No. 2 "athlete" in the 2026 class.

Moa's athletic genes likely come from having a mixed martial artist as a father. Ben Moa, a former Utes standout, went on to fight in the UFC after his playing days in the NFL concluded and posted a 5-2 record as a professional. He recently made a move to the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship.

Moa's older brother, Aisea Moa, is a redshirt edge rusher at BYU, where his other brother, Sione Moa, transferred to in 2023.

BREAKING: Elite 2026 ATH Salesi Moa has Committed to Tennessee, he tells me for @rivals

The 6’1 190 ATH from Ogden, UT chose the Vols over Utah and Michigan

He’s ranked as the No. 2 ATH in the ’26 Class (per Rivals)

“801➡️➡️865”https://t.co/EAiEyYOY0C pic.twitter.com/xZYi1EJg3I
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) July 31, 2025