Michigan State LB Aisea Moa commits to transfer to rival Michigan

Michigan State redshirt junior linebacker Aisea Moa has committed to Michigan out of the NCAA Transfer Portal.

Moa comes to the Wolverines after one year in East Lansing, as well as three years at BYU prior to that. During his time with the Spartans, he totaled 12 tackles, a tackle for loss and a pair of pass breakups while playing in all 12 of the team’s games.

In his time in Provo, Moa finished with 17 tackles across three seasons and 16 of those came during his redshirt sophomore season in 2024. He is expected to join his brother, Salesi Moa, in Ann Arbor after the latter initially signed with Utah but has entered the portal with the intentions of following new Wolverines head coach Kyle Whittingham.

Aisea was a four-star prospect in the 2022 recruiting class, according to the Rivals Industry Ranking, an equally weighted average that utilizes all three major recruiting services. He was tabbed as the nation’s No. 377 overall recruit and No. 36 edge rusher that cycle.

Originally from Utah, he was was recruited out of high school by new Michigan defensive coordinator Jay Hill, who served as the Cougars’ defensive coordinator since 2023. Hill was previously the head coach at Weber State — in the same town as Moa grew up in — from 2014-2022.

The two will now reconnect in Ann Arbor as they look to rebuild the Wolverines’ roster. Twenty-seven Michigan players have opted to enter the portal since it opened on January 2, largely driven by the coaching change from Sherrone Moore to Whittingham.

They’ve taken significant hits in the secondary and at the wide receiver position, as well as losing standout running back Justice Haynes. However, they’ve also added 18 new players via free agency, and have shored up their depth at key positions along the defense.

And with the addition of Moa, their linebacker room has received a significant boost as well.