Elite ATH Salesi Moa spurns in-state Utah, commits to Tennessee
Odgen (Utah) Fremont four-star athlete Salesi Moa has committed to Tennessee, he announced on Thursday afternoon.
He chose the Volunteers over the local Utah Utes in a major recruiting victory for Josh Heupel and Co.
Moa is the No. 46 overall prospect and No. 2 athlete in the 2026 cycle, according to the Rivals Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all major recruiting media companies. He’s also the top-ranked recruit in the Beehive State.
The do-it-all 6-foot-2 Moa is headed to Rocky Top and is now the second elite athlete to choose the Vols this week. On Monday, Murfreesboro (Tenn.) Oakland four-star ATH Joel Wyatt chose Tennessee over Vanderbilt and others.
Moa took his final official visit to Knoxville on the weekend of June 20 and that trip proved to be crucial. Receivers coach Kelsey Pope helped lead the charge for the SEC program.
“You have to have a precise program to be able to hang in SEC ball, and I know Tennessee can get me right, and I know Coach Heup and Coach Pope run a good offense,” Moa told Volquest’s Matt Ray after his OV. “I love Coach Pope. I didn’t really know what to feel like because I had never been over here. I thought the stadium would be like Washington’s, but it wasn’t. It was way bigger. It is nice here. It was a crazy, great experience.”
Vols add another Top-100 commit to 2026 class
With Moa now in the class, Tennessee has 23 total commits and a class that’s pushing for top-10 status in the Rivals Industry Team Recruiting Rankings. Five top-100 recruits are now in the mix.
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All things revolve around Greensboro (N.C.) Grimsley five-star quarterback Faizon Brandon, the nation’s No. 11 overall prospect and No. 3 QB. He pledged last August and remains locked in with the Vols.
“I started feeling Tennessee a while ago,” Brandon told Rivals when he committed. “They started recruiting me early, and the first impression they made on me was unlike any other. The staff recruited me hard from the get-go, they kept it steady with me and they pushed so hard to get me. All of that made an impact on why I picked them.”
Wyatt and Moa now flank the elite signal-caller. While Wyatt will likely line up on the defensive side of the ball at the next level, Moa has garnered plenty of attention as a receiver.
July has now brought the Vols four commitments from top-100 recruits. Before Wyatt and Moa, elite four-star linebacker duo Brayden Rouse and TJ White each also joined the fold. They are the nation’s No. 6 and No. 7 LBs, respectively.
Eight other blue-chippers are also in the class to date. The entire Tennessee pledge list can be viewed here.
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