Although Wendell Moe has become a mainstay on Arizona’s offensive line in the last year-plus, there was a moment he was unsure about his future playing football.
Moe, who started 13 games at left guard for Arizona’s 10-3 campaign last season, was under-recruited out of Long Beach Polytechnic High School before he was a late addition to the UA roster in 2022.
“In my high school career, I just didn’t have any offers or anything,” said Moe, who’s nicknamed “WoWo.”
His only offer was from Morgan State, a Historically Black College and University (HBCU) in Baltimore, to play for head coach and ex-NFL running back Tyrone Wheatley. Moe signed with Morgan State until Wheatley accepted a role as the running backs coach for the Denver Broncos. Moe was released from his national letter of intent and became available for any school interested in the 6-2, 340-pound offensive lineman.
“I took myself out of the situation and was free, but after that, I had nowhere to go,” Moe said. “I had my heart on going to (Long Beach Community College) with my older brother, but after that, Arizona came with (former UA defensive coordinator Johnny Nansen). He flew out to Long Beach that morning, had me on a visit that night and committed on the visit.”
Arizona offensive lineman Wendell Moe (72), quarterback Noah Fifita (11) and offensive lineman Jordan Morgan (77) helped the Wildcats to a dominant win over ranked Washington State on Oct. 14, 2023, in Pullman, Washington.
Moe received the opportunity he longed for with the most important man of his watching over him like a guardian angel. Moe’s father, Wendell Moe Sr., died from COVID-19 before his senior season at Long Beach Poly. He was 41 years old. The older Moe was “a very special person to me and my siblings,” said Wendell Moe Jr.
“We built our family around him. It’s all love. He’s always watching over me and my family,” he said. “I feel his presence all the time.”
The loss of a parent, especially one who was so involved in their children’s lives, can take a while to grieve. Rather than wallowing in sorrow, Moe gravitated towards football more and was named a team captain for Long Beach Poly. As a senior, Moe bloomed into one of the top offensive linemen in the Los Angeles area, yet his recruitment went under the radar until Arizona expressed interest.
“My dad taught me to grow up fast. He prepared us for what happened. After that, we got to work,” Moe said. “It’s sad that it happened. It was a big hit to my family. Trials and tribulations, we come out on top. Glory to God, I’m here.”
Arizona offensive lineman Wendell Moe (72) puts pressure on fellow lineman Elijha Payne (63) during a recent spring football practice on the UA campus.
Life at Arizona wasn’t the easiest transition for Moe, who weighed closer to 400 pounds than 300 when he first arrived, but shed the weight and became a standout on the Wildcats’ scout-team offense.
“It’s hard. It’s hard coming in as a true freshman trying to make a name for yourself,” Moe said. “But when it gets down to it, you just gotta work. Just work your way into it and then work your way up and just keep learning. You’re never going to stop learning.”
Moe said learning Arizona’s offense and excelling at guard “clicked for me during our bye week (after) Washington.”
“That week, something in my mind told me to amp it up and go harder and do more,” Moe said. “A couple weeks after that, I started playing. I feel like the bye week was the turn.”
Moe made his first career start that season in Arizona’s 45-20 loss to No. 12 Utah, then started the following two weeks in the Wildcats’ upset win over UCLA in what was potentially the UA’s last-ever game at the Rose Bowl, and a home loss to Washington State. Senior Josh Donovan started the final game of the ’22 season against Arizona State. Moe was one of two true freshmen to start on Arizona’s offensive line in 2022, along with junior right tackle Jonah Savaiinaea, who played right guard as a freshman.
Arizona running back Michael Wiley (6) jumps through a seam between UA offensive linemen Wendell Moe (72), left, and Jordan Morgan (77) during the Wildcats' season-opening win over NAU on Sept. 2, 2023, at Arizona Stadium.
As a sophomore, Moe became an Associated Press All-Pac-12 second-team selection and had the second-highest pass-blocking grade (85.6) amongst UA offensive linemen, per Pro Football Focus. Moments after Arizona’s win over Oklahoma at the Alamo Bowl in San Antonio, Moe’s mother, June Moe, who wasn’t expecting to arrive for the bowl game, surprised her son at the team’s hotel. As part of Dunkin Donuts’ “Home for the Holidays” campaign, the national donut and coffee chain covered her travel expenses.
“I’m not a hoorah guy and exaggerate everything, but when I did see her, I was filled with love and thankful that she could be there,” Moe said.
Just over two weeks after the bowl game, former Arizona head coach Jedd Fisch accepted the same position at Washington — and took nearly all of UA’s staffers with him to Seattle, including offensive line coach Brennan Carroll. When the team discovered Fisch bolting for UW on Jan. 14, exactly 17 days from Arizona’s bowl win that capped a historic season, “it was a bit of a shock to us,” said redshirt junior Leif Magnuson, who’s competing for Arizona’s starting right guard spot this season.
Arizona offensive lineman Wendell Moe hits the sled during spring football practice last week on the UA campus.
“A lot of guys were put into a position where it’s like, ‘Oh shoot, what do I do now? Do I stay? Do I go?’ I think what it really came down to was regardless if the coach is here or not, we have the pieces,” Magnuson said. “We have the guys and not only that, but we have guys who love each other. I think that was the biggest thing. ... I’ve done more than just play football. I’ve hung out with these guys, I’ve gotten to know them, and it’s just a different feel than what we’ve had in the past in terms of teams. I just really like what we’re doing and I think all of us wanted to keep that going.”
Moe opted to return to the UA and is one of four returning starters on the offensive line, along with Savaiinaea, left tackle Raymond Pulido and center Josh Baker. Arizona’s offensive line coach Josh Oglesby, a former star tackle at Wisconsin before his playing career was cut short due to injuries, is “very detailed in his line of work,” Moe said.
“He basically has a goal for everything, and trying to learn his offense has made me a better football player,” Moe said of Oglesby.
The decision by Moe and others, including Arizona quarterback Noah Fifita, wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan, cornerback Tacario Davis, to return to the Wildcats is featured in a docuseries titled “A University of Arizona Football Documentary” on “Game Network” app, a media company co-founded by Fifita’s father, Les Fifita. The first episode airs on Monday.
“It’s an awesome idea to highlight our players and highlight our program,” said Arizona head coach Brent Brennan, who’s also a part of the docuseries. “It’s so well done. I’m impressed by it.”
In the preview trailer, Moe said, “I did everything possible to put myself in this opportunity where I am right now.”
