Report: Utah WR Salesi Moa enters the transfer portal

In the latest twist in the Salesi Moa saga, one of the crown jewels of Utah’s 2026 recruiting class is transferring before ever suiting up for the Utes.

The four-star athlete, tabbed the No. 1 prospect in the state of Utah and the No. 45 overall player in the nation by 247Sports composite rankings, is hitting the transfer portal ahead of his freshman season, according to a report by 247Sports’ Blair Angulo.

Moa, who changed his commitment from Tennessee to Utah in the early signing period, enrolled at the University of Utah earlier in January prior to entering his name into the transfer portal.

Per CBS Sports’ Chris Hummer, he has a “do not contact” designation in the transfer portal, which “typically signifies a player knows where he’ll transfer to upon entry.”

Michigan, a school that Moa took a visit to during his high school recruitment, is considered the favorite to land the talented prospect.

The Fremont High star had 63 receptions for 1,272 yards and 16 touchdowns in his senior, according to the Deseret News prep stats database. Moa also had 57 tackles, three interceptions and five pass deflections.

Along with Kelvin Obot, Moa was considered the crown jewel of Utah’s 2026 recruiting class. Even with Kyle Whittingham leaving to Michigan, no one from that class asked out of their commitment until Moa did on Monday.

For Utah, the loss of Moa is a big one. The four-star recruit had a chance to crack Utah’s starting lineup at receiver and be an instant-impact player.

The timing of Moa’s departure — late in the transfer cycle — is a blow for the Utes, who will need to secure another promising wide receiver to replace Moa.

Thus far in the transfer portal, Utah has landed one receiver — Utah State’s Braden Pegan, who had 60 receptions, 926 yards and five touchdowns last season.