The Tennessee Vols had a great first day of the early signing period.

Tennessee landed several 2026 four-star recruits that were committed elsewhere — including four-star wide receiver Legend Bey, who was committed to Ohio State, and four-star edge rusher Carter Gooden, who was committed to UCLA.

The Vols also flipped three-star defensive lineman JJ Finch from Alabama, and they signed four-star defensive lineman Jordan Carter, a former Texas A&M commit.

One player that Tennessee wasn’t able to sign was 2026 four-star athlete Salesi Moa, the No. 45 overall player in the nation.

Moa flipped to Utah on Wednesday, electing to sign with his hometown Utes instead of the Vols.

Salesi Moa explains why he signed with Utah over Tennessee

The Vols appeared to be in good shape with Moa after surviving his visit to Michigan this past weekend.

Moa, however, just couldn’t pass up a chance to stay close to home and play for the same program that his dad played for.

“I’m staying home,” said Moa to On3. “In the end, I felt like Utah was the place where I could build my legacy. I want to be legendary and I want my name cemented in the history of Utah football. This is my home, and this is where I’m writing my story.”

Moa also told On3 that the plan is for him to start on offense at Utah and then eventually see time at safety as well.

The four-star recruit is an extremely talented player that has a chance to be a starter at next level. This is a tough loss for Tennessee, but you certainly can’t blame Moa for choosing to stay home.

Despite losing Moa, the Vols currently have the No. 7 2026 recruiting class in the nation.

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