Michigan’s first national title since 1989 did more than end a long wait. It sent Dusty May straight into roster triage, with assistant coaches already recruiting for the 2026-27 roster in a viral screenshot after the win in Indianapolis.
That is why May’s comments are drawing attention now. The transfer portal opened just hours after Michigan’s championship win over UConn, and the next move was never going to be simple. Aday Mara had to decide whether to return for another season or head to the draft, and Morez Johnson Jr. faced the same choice. Yaxel Lendeborg, meanwhile, had run out of eligibility. For Michigan, the celebration and the roster puzzle arrived at the same time.
May laid out the bind in an interview on The Field of 68 with Jeff Goodman, saying the team’s success made the situation complicated but also made sense as the price of winning. His point was straightforward: when a team reaches the top, players become more valuable, more visible and, in some cases, more likely to test the draft waters. That leaves the staff trying to build a future roster while the present one is still in motion.
That is the friction in Michigan’s position. A title season usually buys time, but this one compressed everything. Coaches had to recruit the next group while also waiting on decisions from players who may or may not stay. May said everyone improved their value and stock because of the championship run, which helps explain why the roster question became harder instead of easier in the days after the trophy was won.
May also signaled that Michigan would not be boxed in by the uncertainty. He said the program would be fine if it had to go young or rebuild, a reminder that the next roster may look different from the one that won the title. The unresolved question now is not whether Michigan can recruit. It is which version of the team it will be recruiting for once Mara, Johnson and the rest of the roster make their calls.
