2025-26 Big Ten offseason at a glance: Michigan Wolverines

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Welcome to “Big Ten offseason at a glance,” a team-by-team look at the conference at the start of the summer. We’ll examine roster movement for each Big Ten roster and give an early outlook for each Big Ten program for the 2025-26 season.

Previously: Rutgers, Penn State, Minnesota, Northwestern, Washington, Oregon, Nebraska, Maryland, Iowa, Wisconsin, USC, Ohio State, Michigan State, Illinois, UCLA

Today: Michigan (27-10 overall in 2024-25, 14-6 in Big Ten play)

Year one with Dusty May in Ann Arbor was filled with optimism, but the Wolverines exceeded expectations. Michigan surged to a 27-10 record led by its dominant frontcourt of Danny Wolf and Vlad Goldin. The Wolverines finished tied for second in the Big Ten, won the conference tournament and earned a No. 5 seed in the NCAA tournament, making a Sweet 16 run before falling short to No. 1 seed Auburn.

Michigan’s roster movement

Players returning with eligibility: Nimari Burnett, Roddy Gayle Jr., Will Tschetter, L.J. Cason, Oscar Goodman

Players departing due to exhausted eligibility: Vladislav Goldin, Rubin Jones

Players departing for the NBA draft: Danny Wolf

Players departing via transfer portal: Tre Donaldson (to Miami), Jace Howard (to Fordham), Phat Phat Brooks (to Central Michigan), Sam Walters (to SMU), Justin Pippen (to Cal)

Players arriving via transfer portal: Yaxel Lendeborg (from UAB), Morez Johnson Jr. (from Illinois), Aday Mara (from UCLA), Elliot Cadeau (from North Carolina)

Players arriving from high school: Trey McKenney (247sports Composite top 20), Winters Grady (247sports Composite top 90), Patrick Liburd, Malick Kordel

Michigan loses its three best players, but Dusty May responded with one of the best offseasons in the nation. The Wolverines’ four-man class ranks second in the country in 247Sports’ rankings, as all four prospects are inside the top 60. Yaxel Lendeborg – the No. 1 transfer in the portal – is the biggest get by far, but all four will be significant pieces in the rotation. In the high school class, Trey McKenney is a McDonald’s All-American guard with a big frame who can score well at the rim and from the mid-range. Winters Grady is a skilled sharpshooting wing.

What to like about Michigan

Lendeborg withdrawing from the NBA draft immediately makes this one of the best rosters in the country. The 6-foot-9 transfer from UAB absolutely stuffs the stat sheet – last year he averaged 17.7 points, 11.4 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.8 blocks and 1.7 steals per game on good efficiency and reasonable minutes. After watching what Dusty May did with Danny Wolf last year, the sky is the limit with Lendeborg’s versatility and skillset. Expect him to be one of the top players in the Big Ten.

The roster is really talented but also fits well together. Lendeborg can do everything on the floor. Cadeau is a traditional lead guard who will run the offense, facilitate and defend well. Johnson Jr. and Mara are huge interior presences. Burnett shot 40 percent from deep last year on high volume. Gayle Jr. is a big guard who scores at the rim. Cason is a potential breakout candidate. There’s so much versatility on the floor and if everyone buys into their role, winning will follow.

Michigan also figures to be the best two-way team in the conference. The Wolverines are inside Bart Torvik’s top-10 in both offensive and defensive adjusted efficiency. This team will be hard to handle offensively and hard to get past defensively.

What to question with Michigan

Outside of Burnett, there aren’t too many 3-point shooting threats. Especially with the guards, Cadeau and Gayle Jr. are both poor perimeter shooters and that could lead to spacing problems and a packed paint.

What lineups and kind of rotations May opts for is intriguing. Michigan has a lot of talent, which means several guys deserving of big minutes, but there won’t be enough to go around. Which guys have to take on a limited role and will everyone still buy in on the vision if they aren’t getting their fair share?

Michigan’s outlook for the 2025-26 season

Home: Indiana, Minnesota, Nebraska, Rutgers, UCLA, USC, Wisconsin

Away: Illinois, Iowa, Maryland, Northwestern, Oregon, Purdue, Washington

Home/Away: Michigan State, Ohio State, Penn State

Michigan currently projects second in the Big Ten and top-5 nationally in Bart Torvik’s preseason metrics. ESPN’s Joe Lunardi predicts a No. 2 seed for the Wolverines in the NCAA tournament.

In just his second year as a high-major coach, Dusty May has his team competing near the top of the Big Ten. Michigan is stacked, and at least on paper, the Wolverines have what it takes to win the Big Ten and play until April in the NCAA tournament.

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