One of the top athletes in the country is set to come off the board this weekend, and Tennessee football is firmly in the mix.
Salesi Moa, a four-star athlete out of Ogden, Utah, told 247 he will be committing to his school of choice on Saturday, July 5. He will be deciding between the Vols, Michigan, Michigan State, Utah and Washington.
Moa is the No. 44 recruit in the country, according to 247 rankings, and the No. 4 athlete in the cycle. He is the top-ranked player from the state of Utah. It would be the first time a player from the state has played for UT football. Josh Heupel does bring some familiarity with the Beehive State, though. He played at Weber State, a school inside Salesi’s hometown of Ogden, and Snow College.
The belief is that Tennessee would plan to use Moa as both a wide receiver and a defensive back. While it isn’t common under Heupel, the blueprint is beginning to be put in place with Boo Carter getting reps on both sides of the ball this off-season. Dee Williams, naturally a defensive back who returned punts, also got the chance to try to learn the offense in 2023.
“Moa is among the most versatile athletes in the country and is currently being recruited equally hard on both sides of the ball,” 247’s National Recruiting Analyst Greg Biggins wrote. “At 7v7 events and camps, will typically work out at wide receiver and has always been an extremely tough cover. A physical player who shows both initial quickness getting off the line and suddenness getting out of his breaks. Can get deep and stretch the field, runs well after the catch and has very strong hands.”
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Moa took his official visit to Tennessee on June 20, the final of a stretch to see his finalists. He went to see Michigan just before, and Utah and Washington before that. His first official visit was to see Michigan State. The Spartans have a unique leg up on the competition with his older brother on the roster.
According to a report from On3, Tennessee was considered one of the believed top two schools for him, alongside Utah, though. Michigan and Michigan State took a back seat, but are firm in their pushes.
Currently, the Vols own 16 commitments, which pushes them up to the No. 12 class in the country on 247. The headliners are five-star quarterback Faizon Brandon, who ranks as the No. 1 recruit in the country, and five-star offensive tackle Gabriel Osenda.
Tennessee did a terrific job of bolstering the class this past weekend, though, with seven commitments joining the group since Friday. The Vols don’t appear to be done, either, with targets such as Moa soon to come off the board.
