Yaxel Lendeborg may be off to the NBA, but he is still carrying Michigan around with him.
The former Wolverine is already making noise with the Golden State Warriors in NBA Summer League, and he’ll soon head to California to see what he can do in the regular season. Even with that next chapter underway, he hasn’t stopped looking out for Michigan’s future.
That showed up this week with five-star 2028 guard Brady Pettigrew, who was recently offered by Michigan. Lendeborg jumped into Pettigrew’s comments and told him the “right move” is Michigan.
Former #Michigan star and current Golden State Warriors, Yaxel Lendeborg (@Yaxel_Lendeborg) still recruiting for the Wolverines.
He recently commented on newly-offered 5⭐️ guard Brady Pettigrew’s IG post to make ‘the right move!’ pic.twitter.com/YxJ6cvHkSS
- Brice Marich (@BriceMarich) July 13, 2026
Pettigrew, a Boilingbrook, Illinois native, already has 29 offers and is drawing attention from schools like Kentucky, Florida, Duke, and others. Michigan got in a little later, but the Wolverines are now in the mix after Mike Boynton extended the offer.
Boynton is settling into his new job at Michigan and has wasted no time on the recruiting trail. He was one of the top recruiters on Dusty May’s old staff, and that reputation should matter as he tries to land Pettigrew.
It won’t be an easy pull. Illinois has the in-state advantage, and Brad Underwood and the Illini will be a major factor. But Michigan can counter with the National Champion card, and if Boynton can stack up more success on the court - maybe even a deep run or a repeat title this season - that could help sway Pettigrew toward Ann Arbor.
Boynton is on a two-year deal, so recruiting matters just as much as winning right now. Pettigrew would be a huge get for him, and Lendeborg is trying to help by giving the Wolverines a little extra push.
After all, Lendeborg knows what it’s like to come into the Michigan program and experience Boynton’s coaching excellence. If a player like that is telling you Michigan is the right choice, it’s worth listening.
There’s still a long way to go before Pettigrew makes any decision as part of the 2028 class, but Lendeborg is clearly doing his part to keep Michigan’s momentum rolling.
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For Michigan, the frustration is less about missing on a random target and more about watching a player it evaluated repeatedly head to a rival program with momentum. Taylors path included a strong previous season, a heavy dose of offseason showcase attention, and a recruiting process that drew visits from several Big Ten schools before Nebraska landed his commitment. The Wolverines have since moved on with their own 2027 quarterback work, but Taylor is the kind of name that can linger if he keeps climbing. [Read more 🡒]