Top DL target Travis Moten commits to Michigan on National Signing Day
Michigan scored an important recruiting win on National Signing Day.
Three-star Louisville (Ky.) Fern Creek defensive lineman Travis Moten committed to U-M over fellow finalists Virginia and Texas Tech.
Moten was set to make his announcement on Thursday. Instead, he committed and signed with the Wolverines on Wednesday morning.
Moten made an official visit to Michigan last week, which played a big role in his decision.
“The highlights for me were the campus and the coaching staff — Coach Espo (Lou Esposito), the DC (Wink Martindale) and the General Manager (Sean Magee),” Moten said. “It was great. If you take out the football piece of it, the academic part was really great. I want to go into mechanical engineering, and they have a great pathway for that. I went to see the academic buildings and the dorms. They have a great atmosphere and culture.”
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.
“Coach Espo is a great coach,” Moten said. “He put guys in the league. That’s something I want to be a part of. It’s always been a dream of mine to be in the NFL.”
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Moten is set to enroll early at Michigan.
At 6-foot5, 250 pounds, Moten is ranked as the No. 98 EDGE and No. 1,165 overall prospect nationally, per the On3 Industry Ranking.
Michigan now has 22 commits in its 2025 recruiting class — Moten, five-star Belleville (Mich.) High quarterback Bryce Underwood, five-star Overland Park (Kan.) Blue Valley Northwest offensive tackle Andrew Babalola, 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, Top 100 Oak Park (Ill.) Fewick defensive lineman Nate Marshall, Top 100 Center Valley (Pa.) Southern Lehigh tight end Andrew Olesh, 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 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 and three-star Alcoa (Tenn.) High tight end Eli Owens.
The class entered the day ranked No. 7 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.
