Michigan has gone from off the radar to a top school for Santa Margarita (Calif.) safety Pole Moala.
Moala re-classified from the 2028 class to 2027, and following that, set an official visit to Michigan for June 19. Moala will also visit Michigan on April 6-8 for a multi-day unofficial prior to June’s official visit.
Rivals West Coast analysts believe Michigan and Ole Miss have the inside track right now with Oklahoma, Cal and UCLA rounding out his top five.
Safeties coach Tyler Stockton has been recruiting Moala for the Wolverines but it was actually cornerbacks coach Jernaro Gilford who offered him at BYU last May.
“Coach Stockton is my lead recruiter and he’s a great guy,” Moala said. “The whole staff is great and I’m excited at what they’re building. The staff is known for development and coach Stockton has produced some really good defensive backs so my interest is really high.”
Moala is an all-around safety who, at 5-foot-11, 180 pounds, can support the run (42 tackles with four for loss last season) but also play the ball in the air (three interceptions and nine pass breakups). He is a versatile athlete who had eight offensive touchdowns last season.
Michigan will be his final official, and he plans to make a summer commitment.
Rivals has Moala rated a four-star prospect and has him ranked as a Top 200 prospect in the 2027 class. He is the No. 18 safety nationally.
Blue-chip prospects continue to visit Michigan
Michigan welcomed a strong group of visits for spring practice on Thursday.
Four-star Chicago Mount Carmel wide receiver Quentin Burrell was one. The 6-foot-3, 185-pound Burrell is a top target of the Wolverines and his sister Kali Burrell plays soccer for Michigan. That was his first chance to see the new-look Wolverines practice. Notre Dame and Arizona State are considered the top competitors for him but Indiana, Miami and others are also making efforts.
Farmington (Mich.) defensive end Myles Smith and Chicago Brother Rice defensive tackle Brayden Parks were two four-star defensive linemen who visited. The Wolverines are in the game but not considered the leaders for either prospect, so getting them back to campus was important.
Parks, a 6-foot-3, 300-pound disruptor on the interior, is considering Oregon, Alabama, Ohio State and Notre Dame primarily in addition to Michigan.
Smith is an edge-rusher with a basketball background. Michigan State, Missouri, Oklahoma and Kentucky are among the schools he is considering.
Michigan welcomed San Diego Rancho Bernardo safety Gaige Weddle to campus as well. Weddle is a Top 20 national recruit in the 2028 class. A high school quarterback, some schools are keeping that option alive but most like the 6-foot-2, 175-pound Weddle on defense. His father Eric Weddle played at Utah then enjoyed a 13-year NFL career where he made six Pro Bowls.
Grand Rapids Kenowa Hills athlete Lundon Hampton visited and was offered by Michigan. While many schools like Hampton as a safety-linebacker hybrid, Michigan is recruiting him as a running back. The 6-foot-2, 190-pound Hampton is now working on setting an official visit up with Michigan. He is also considering Kansas, Pittsburgh, Michigan State, Purdue and more.
Allen Trieu covers Midwest football recruiting for On3. He has been featured on the Big Ten Network on its annual Signing Day Show. His Michigan and Michigan State recruiting columns appear weekly at detroitnews.com.
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Michigan now viewed as top school for California four-star safety Pole Moala
Reporting by Allen Trieu, Special to The Detroit News / The Detroit News
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