The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1532537
2025 FOOTBALL RECRUITING ISSUE ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ 42 THE WOLVERINE ❱ MARCH 2025 BY ETHAN MCDOWELL Travis Moten flew under the radar for most of his recruitment but, after leading the state of Kentucky in sacks during his senior season, he quickly emerged as one of the top rising stars in the 2025 class. He decommitted from Western Mich- igan Nov. 11 after Virginia and Texas Tech offered. Michigan moved quickly in his recruitment, extending a scholar- ship three days later before solidifying itself as a top-three school in the defen- sive lineman's recruitment. The Wolverines hosted him on an of- ficial visit late in the cycle and held the momentum in his recruitment from that point on. He originally planned on making his decision Dec. 5 but went ahead and signed with U-M on Dec. 4, the first day of the early signing period. "I'm glad to be a Wolverine," Moten said. "I'm glad to compete and learn at the highest level. The end goal is to make it to the NFL." Mo te n m ea s u re s 6 - fo o t - 6, 296 pounds and racked up 19.5 sacks and 30 tackles for loss as a senior with Louis- ville (Ky.) Fern Creek Traditional High. He rocketed up On3's rankings late in the cycle, joining the Wolverines as the No. 134 recruit in the nation and top- ranked prospect in Kentucky. The late-rising player said his Michi- gan commitment was "meant to be." He saw defensive line coach Lou Esposito's track record with developing three-star defensive linemen into pros, and he knew this was the right school for him. "I feel like I'll be a perfect fit with my length and size," Moten said. "I feel like nobody in the league is 6-5 with long and lengthy arms like me. In the inte- rior you've got Chris Jones [Kansas City first-team All-Pro defensive lineman], a guy who I look up to. I'm ready and excited to just compete and go out here and put on a show." Michigan offered him Nov. 14. Es- posito's stop by his school caught the lineman by surprise. It was a shocking visit for Moten, and he was excited to learn that Michigan was really pursu- ing him. "I was a little lost for words, but I was more excited and just pumped," Moten said. He likes how Esposito truly cares about his players, and he believes the defensive line coach will put him in the best position to succeed at the next level. Michigan will develop him and offer a good scheme fit. The Wolverines checked a lot of Mo- ten's boxes during his official visit. He liked the academic side of the univer- sity, enjoyed the team meetings and clicked with some of the current play- ers. "It just felt like home," Moten said. ❑ Michigan Finds Potential Steal In Kentucky DL Travis Moten Moten led the state of Kentucky with 19.5 sacks during his senior season. PHOTO COURTESY ON3 2025 Projection Travis Moten is a super-intriguing prospect with a high ceiling but will likely redshirt the 2025 season. With 48.5 tackles for loss and 30 sacks in his prep career, he understands how to get into the backfield and be disrup ve. STATISTICS Year Tackles TFL Sacks 2024 95 30 19.5 2023 83 17.5 10.5 2022 20 1 — HONORS • Louisville Courier Journal All-State first-team as a senior. • First-team 6A-D4 All-District as a junior and a senior. • Holds Fern Creek's career sack record. • Led Fern Creek to the playoffs as a junior. RECRUITMENT • Pledged to Michigan Dec. 4, 2024, a er receiving offer in November 2024. • Picked U-M over Texas Tech, Virginia and Western Michigan. • Recruited by defensive line coach Lou Esposito. DID YOU KNOW? • Enrolled early at U-M in January. • Also wrestled in high school. • Son of Travis Moten Sr. • Born April 16, 2007. THEY SAID IT On3 director of scou ng and rankings Charles Power: "Moten was a Group of Five- level prospect who had a great senior season. He led the state of Kentucky in sacks. He is really big. He is 6-6+, 285+, long, so he brings a really nice combina on of size and pass rush skills to the table — a guy who, I think, could ul mately be a 315-pounder type." TRAVIS MOTEN DEFENSIVE LINE 6-6 • 296 FERN CREEK TRADITIONAL HIGH LOUISVILLE, KY. RANKINGS STARS NAT. POS. STATE ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ 301 29 4 ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ 134 12 1 ✪ ✪ ✪ — 89 8 ✪ ✪ ✪ — 57 6 ✪ ✪ ✪ — 23 6 INDUSTRY