Utah football adds more defensive line help through the transfer portal

Utes signed a former three-star recruit to beef up their defensive line

Utah Utes head coach Morgan Scalley landed a third defensive lineman via the transfer portal on Sunday. | Rob Gray-Imagn Images

Utah continued to revamp its defensive line Sunday as the program signed Jireh Moe, a nose tackle who played his freshman season at San José State.

On3's Pete Nakos reported that Moe would be joining the Utes for the 2026 season on Sunday. The 6-foot-tall, 280 pound Californian became the third defensive lineman and the fifth player on the defensive side of the ball overall to sign with the Utes during the transfer portal cycle.

Moe's decision came just over a week after his defensive coordinator at San José State, Derrick Odum, was tabbed as Utah's new safeties coach. Odum, a former Utah defensive back, spent the previous nine seasons with the Spartans following a brief stint with the Utes' coaching staff in the early 2000s.

Moe was also the second San José State to sign with Utah, joining former Spartans wide receiver Kyri Shoels. Utah recently hired Shoels' former wide receivers coach, Kevin McGiven, as the Utes' new offensive coordinator.

Moe, a former three-star recruit out of Orange Lutheran High School (California), played in 11 games with the Spartans in 2025. He finished the season with 28 total tackles, including two for loss, and 1.5 sacks.

San José State, which struggled to a 3-9 record, ranked No. 6 in the Mountain West in rush defense, allowing 157.9 yards per game.

Moe committed to the Spartans as the No. 179 defensive lineman in the 2025 class, according to 247Sports, following an impressive high school career. In his time at Orange Lutheran and Reed High School (Nevada), he recorded 91 tackles, 15 sacks and nine tackles for a loss in his career, earning an invite to the 2024 Polynesian Bowl. Moe also blocked three field goals as a senior.

Moe will have opportunities to earn playing time for the Utes in spring and fall camp. Utah lost all four of its starters along the defensive line to either the portal, NFL draft or graduation, including All-American pass rusher John Henry Daley (portal); defensive tackles Jonah Lea'ea (portal), Aliki Vimahi (graduation) and Dallas Vakalahi (portal); and veteran defensive end Logan Fano.

As such, the Utes spent the first week of the transfer portal being open reshaping its defensive line group. Utah signed former North Texas defensive end Ethan Day and ex-Wyoming defensive tackle Lucas Samsula early on in the cycle, bringing in two experienced lineman to potentially fill in the gaps.

San Jose State OL Jireh Moe has signed with Utah, @PeteNakos reports.https://t.co/kSYG7dYADj pic.twitter.com/ddyDd6d1du

— Transfer Portal (@TransferPortal) January 11, 2026