Following his weekend visit with the Vols, an accomplished defensive lineman from a Power Five school committed to Tennessee on Sunday.
Jaxson Moi, a defensive lineman from Stanford, had never been to Tennessee before and wasn’t sure if it would be the right place for him to finish his college career. However, after his weekend in Knoxville, he had a different opinion of the Vols and announced on Sunday afternoon that he had committed to the school. This gives the Vols a seasoned defensive lineman with two seasons left to play and plenty of experience. Moi, who is 6-foot-2 and 303 pounds, chose Tennessee over Washington. Moi was a sophomore this year, and has three years left to play his final two seasons.
Before making his choice public, he told GoVols247, “I think it really just checked all my boxes.” “I could move to a place where people genuinely love the program and support their athletes; football is almost like a religion there.
Additionally, coaching-wise, it makes perfect sense. I’m confident that people will be concerned about my well-being and character development in addition to my football career. The program is steadily improving thanks to the track record of defensive coordinator Tim Banks, head coach Josh Heupel, defensive line coach Rodney Garner, and the players he has developed.
“I’m just so excited to be a part of it and try to bring a championship back to Tennessee.”
Moi, a former standout at Cathedral Catholic High School in San Diego, appeared in all 12 of Stanford’s games in 2023 and made seven starts. He was in the starting lineup for the Cardinal’s final six games of the season.
He finished the year with 15 tackles, including a tackle for loss and a half-sack, along with one pass breakup. He also was credited with a pair of quarterback hurries. He graded out as Stanford’s second-best defensive lineman during the 2023 season, according to Pro Football Focus.
Moi took an official visit to Arizona earlier this month after entering the NCAA transfer portal on Dec. 31, and he arrived at Washington for an official visit with the Huskies before learning that former Washington coach Kalen DeBoer had left for Alabama. But he admitted he wasn’t sure whether he belonged at Tennessee before traveling to Knoxville with his family this weekend.
“I was very nervous going into my visit,” Moi said. “I didn’t know how I’d fit in. I was questioning how I’d like it out here. But, I mean, after visiting, the South is very similar to Polynesian culture. Everyone is very welcoming.
“It’s truly like a family. Not to sound too cliche, but it just feels like a big ol’ family.”
He said he’s “excited to call Tennessee home.” If everything goes according to plan, he expects to return to Knoxville on Wednesday to begin spring-semester classes and officially join the Vols.
“I think, just after the coaching changes (at Arizona and Washington) and just coming up here and really experiencing it, it was a clear decision where I’m supposed to be,” Moi said.
Moi said it didn’t hurt that Tennessee has a couple other players of Polynesian heritage in freshman quarterback Nico Iamaleava, a former five-star prospect from Warren High School in Downey, Calif., and senior linebacker Keenan Pili.
“I didn’t meet (Iamaleava), but I met Keenan Pili and also Coach ‘Dogg,’ the recruiter,” Moi said, referring to Vols recruiting analyst Aaron Amaama. “Just knowing that I have those guys around me so, if I ever need to get away from the daily life and just feel at home, I know I have them, so that was also a big plus on my commitment here.
“But I was excited. I wanted to kind of go on my own path and start something new. You don’t see too many Polys out here, other than Keenan and Nico, obviously, coming out to the SEC, so I just think it’s pretty cool — and try to get a Poly pipeline from the West Coast to Tennessee.”
Tennessee’s coaches, led by Heupel and Garner, made Moi feel right at home, too. Moi said he was impressed by “how genuine” Heupel was.
“You could tell he wasn’t putting on a front,” Moi said of Heupel. “You could tell he truly cares about his players, that he’s really a players’ coach, and a really personable person. Just really trying to get to know you on a deeper level.
“Coach G, it was really cool, getting to meet him, just getting to understand his process, his way of developing great D-linemen. I know it’s going to be hard work, and he’ll be hard on his players. But he’s going to love them and celebrate their successes just as passionately.”
Tennessee has a handful of experienced veterans returning at defensive tackle, led by senior starter Omari Thomas and Omarr Norman-Lott, who was a junior this season. Moi said he’s hoping to be part of the Vols’ rotation right away, and the expected departures of at least a few seniors after the 2024 season could allow him to take on an even bigger role in 2025.
“They have great guys returning, so just being able to hopefully get in that rotation and work hard, and really just be a key contributor to that defense and bring that West Coast play style to the South,” Moi said. “I’m excited to show people what I can do.”
