Signee Spotlight: DL Travis Moten talks picking Michigan on signing day, more

The Wolverine’s EJ Holland sat down with three-star Louisville (Ky.) Fern Creek defensive lineman Travis Moten to get his thoughts on signing with Michigan.

Watch the full Q&A below.

Moten Recruitment

Michigan defensive line coach Lou Esposito visited Moten at his school during the Wolverines’ bye week and extended an offer. The two quickly built up a strong relationship, and Esposito made him a top priority.

Moten made an official visit to Michigan the week before signing day and was impressed with the program both on and off the field.

A former Western Michigan commit, Moten committed to U-M over fellow finalists Virginia and Texas Tech.

Here is what Holland had to say about Moten.

“Moten is an intriguing late addition to the class,” Holland said. “He’s listed as an EDGE on On3 but is actually more of a defensive lineman. Michigan sees him developing into a three-technique. He flew under the radar for most of the cycle but has a lot of upside.”

Moten is set to enroll early at Michigan.

At 6-foot-5, 250 pounds, Moten is ranked as the No. 87 EDGE and No. 964 overall prospect nationally, per the On3 Industry Ranking. He is also ranked as the No. 11 overall recruit in the state of Kentucky.

Michigan has 22 commits in its 2025 recruiting class — five-star Belleville (Mich.) High quarterback Bryce Underwood, five-star Overland Park (Kan.) Blue Valley Northwest offensive tackle Andrew Babalola, Top 100 Oak Park (Ill.) Fenwick EDGE Nate Marshall, Top 100 Chester (Va.) Thomas Dale cornerback Shamari Earls, Top 100 Monroe (N.C.) High safety Jordan Young, Top 100 Katy (Texas) Jordan wide receiver Andrew Marsh, On300 Washington (D.C.) Gonzaga defensive back Kainoa Winston, On300 Alpharetta (Ga.) High EDGE Julius Holly, On300 Kilgore (Texas) High cornerback Jayden Sanders, On300 New Orleans (La.) Archbishop Shaw wide receiver Jacob Washington, On300 Newburgh (Ind.) Castle defensive lineman Benny Patterson, On300 New Orleans (La.) Archbishop Shaw running back Jasper Parker, four-star Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy linebacker Nathaniel Owusu-Boateng, four-star Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy running back Donovan Johnson, four-star Birmingham (Mich.) Groves offensive lineman Avery Gach, three-star Howell (Mich.) High defensive lineman Bobby Kanka, three-star Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy offensive lineman Kaden Strayhorn, three-star Stockbridge (Ga.) High linebacker Chase Taylor, three-star Lake Worth (Fla.) Santaluces wide receiver Jamar Browder, three-star Louisville (Ky.) Fern Creek defensive lineman Travis Moten and three-star Alcoa (Tenn.) High tight end Eli Owens.

The class is ranked No. 9 nationally and No. 3 in the Big Ten, per the On3 Industry national team recruiting rankings. The Wolverines currently sit behind Ohio State and Oregon.