Coming into last season, Michigan’s roster construction seemed a bit strange with three big men who would all be deserving of high minute totals during games. On the surface, it seemed like it would be a situation that would be hard to manage, but we began to see why they pay Dusty May the big bucks as the season progressed.
This season, Michigan doesn’t have a roster construction that’s as potentially confusing, but there will still be some pieces to try to fit together. Today, we give our first
early prediction for what the team’s depth chart will look like next season.
Point Guard
Starter: Elliot Cadeau (SR)
Depth: Brandon McCoy Jr. (FR), L.J Cason (JR – Redshirting)
There’s no surprise here, as Elliot Cadeau is back after an impressive first season with the team. After his individual struggles at North Carolina, he seamlessly engineered the offense for Michigan. He’ll enter the season as one of, if not the best, point guards in the Big Ten.
Behind him, we start to see some of the issues the Wolverines might have with depth in their backcourt. L.J. Cason is expected to be out for the year after tearing his ACL last season, so we’ll likely see five-star freshman Brandon McCoy Jr. assume the backup point guard role, but we’ll talk more about him in just a moment.
Shooting Guard
Starter: Trey McKenney (SO)
Depth: Brandon McCoy Jr. (FR), Joseph Hartman (FR), Malachi Brown (FR)
Like Cadeau, Trey McKenney seemed to improve as the year progressed, and he was able to do all this despite coming off the bench. His biggest moment of the season came in the National Championship when he sank a dagger three-pointer in the closing minutes of the game. He’ll use his shooting ability (39.1 percent from deep), physicality, and defensive ability in the starting lineup, potentially giving him the chance to emerge as one of the country’s best guards.
McCoy also figures to play some minutes at the 2 to give McKenney some relief. However, there isn’t much behind him, as true freshmen Joseph Hartman and Malachi Brown both may not be major contributors right off the bat.
Small Forward
Starter: Ricky Liburd (SO)
Depth: Oscar Goodman (SO), Brandon McCoy Jr. (FR), Malachi Brown (FR), Lincoln Cosby (FR – Redshirting)
This is where we’ll get bold since the small forward position is probably the most interesting on the team right now. McCoy makes sense as a starter, but it’s also difficult to see how that would work with him also needing to play relief minutes in the backcourt. Even if he’s not the starter in this spot, he’ll still likely play just as much as the starting five. Meanwhile, Michigan has been high on two sophomores in Ricky Liburd and Oscar Goodman, who could both start here in 2026-27.
We didn’t see Liburd on the floor at all during Michigan’s national championship season, but his long-range shooting is something the staff has spoken highly of. There’s a belief he’ll play a much bigger role going forward. Meanwhile, Oscar Goodman mostly got minutes in mop-up duty, but his bull in a china shop style of play would be a welcome addition to the rotation off the bench.
Power Forward
Starter: J.P. Estrella (SR)
Depth: Jalen Reed (SR), Oscar Goodman (SO), Quinn Costello (FR), Lincoln Cosby (FR – Redshirting)
Michigan’s first addition out of the portal this offseason was J.P. Estrella, an offensive-minded power forward who averaged 10 points and 5.4 rebounds in 18.3 minutes off the bench for Tennessee a year ago. Much like Aday Mara and Morez Johnson Jr., the Wolverines are banking on his upside and the chance he wasn’t given enough of an opportunity in Knoxville.
Jalen Reed, a transfer from LSU, and Goodman will also provide the minutes off the bench and perhaps a bit more defensive ability to fortify the post. Freshman Quinn Costello will also be a name to watch before the season starts — he’s a highly talented stretch 4, but could stand to add some weight before seeing the floor in a large capacity in the physical Big Ten.
Center
Starter: Moustapha Thiam (JR)
Depth: Jalen Reed (SR), J.P. Estrella (SR), Quinn Costello (FR), Marcus Moller (FR)
Moustapha Thiam was the biggest addition (literally and figuratively) through the portal this offseason. Thiam stands at 7-foot-2 and will look to pick up where Mara left off as a rim protector with some offensive chops as well. He was one of the more sought-after big men in the portal this year, which should be scary for opposing teams considering the success May has had with Mara and Vlad Goldin.
Michigan might not be relying on a true center as the backup to Thiam, with the aforementioned Reed and Estrella likely taking up many of the minutes there. Costello could fill in here, too. Marcus Moller is a 7-foot-3 freshman who will be joining the program this summer, but his development might still be delayed a bit, as he was diagnosed with testicular cancer back in January and will still likely be working his way back to full strength.
