Michigan’s new-look roster already has its obvious headliners, but Mike Boynton Jr. thinks one of the quieter names could end up mattering more than people realize.
That player is Quinn Costello, the former top-35 recruit and 6'10" forward who arrived as part of Dusty May’s final class before Boynton Jr. took over as head coach. Michigan won a national title this past season, then moved through a busy offseason that included May’s departure, Boynton Jr.’s hiring, the addition of his first assistant coach, and only one roster loss in the transfer portal: L.J. Cason.
Even with the coaching change, the Wolverines enter the 2026-27 season with big expectations, and their incoming class was already viewed as one of the best in the country. Brandon McCoy Jr. was the late addition who grabbed the spotlight, and he’s expected to push for a starting job right away. But Boynton Jr. singled out Costello as a player who may be overlooked.
Recently on Defend the Block, Boynton Jr. said Costello has grown physically and is picking things up quickly.
"I think we had high expectations for the group already. I'll say this about maybe Quinn Costello.
He's bigger than he was," Boynton Jr. recently said. "I think he's grown here in the last couple months, and he picks up things really fast, really, really smart.
And so maybe a guy who people aren't maybe as in tune with what he can do and how much he can help, and we don't know for sure.
"We still got to get out there. He's got to react to it in a real game setting with people in the building.
But in terms of a guy, maybe that's flying under the radar a little bit. I mean, you say that for a guy who was a McDonald's All American, but I think he's going to have an impact on our team that maybe some people haven't anticipated."
Michigan already has Tennessee transfer J.P. Estrella and Cincinnati big man Moustapha Thiam locked in as the starting forward and center. The Wolverines also added LSU forward Jalen Reed, who can move around the lineup but has dealt with injury scares over the past two seasons.
That setup could open the door for Costello to play early if Reed isn’t ready to start the season on the floor. Michigan does not have a true backup big behind Thiam, and Costello’s size gives him a chance to fill that role. If the added weight Boynton Jr. mentioned translates on the court, Costello could become a real answer in the frontcourt.
He has the versatility to play either the 4 or the 5, and if he proves he can handle meaningful minutes, it would go a long way toward easing any concerns about Michigan’s depth at center.
In Other News...
Paul Finebaum Took Another Shot At Michigan And Fans Will Boil
Paul Finebaum has never been shy about stirring the pot when it comes to Michigan, and his latest swipe landed in a moment when the program is already adjusting to a new era. After moving on from Sherrone Moore, Michigan turned to Kyle Whittingham, the longtime Utah coach whose teams built a reputation on discipline, physical play and defense, the kind of identity Wolverines fans have long expected to see on the field.
That backdrop makes Finebaums latest comments even more combustible, because the debate around Michigan is no longer just about the past. It is also about whether the program can keep its edge under Whittingham while still carrying the weight of national expectations, and that is exactly the kind of conversation that tends to keep both the critics and the fan base engaged. [Read more 🡒]
Sherrone Moore Just Sent Michigan Fans One Final Sign It's Over
Sherrone Moores time in Ann Arbor has taken another visible step toward the rearview mirror. The former Michigan head football coach is selling his Ann Arbor-area home for $1.7 million, a move that comes months after his firing in December and after the university moved on with new athletic department leadership.
Moores departure was already tied to an internal investigation that led Michigan to release a report on the matter, and the off-field fallout has continued to define the end of his run there. Putting the house on the market only adds to the sense that the chapter is closing, even as the full story of how Michigan reached that point has remained one of the programs most consequential recent issues. [Read more 🡒]
Three Wolverines May Decide Whether Bryce Underwood Gets Enough Help
Bryce Underwood is still the center of Michigans 2026 outlook, but the size of the help around him may end up mattering just as much. The Wolverines have a few pieces who could shape how quickly the offense and defense settle in, starting with running back Savion Hiter, whose ceiling gives the backfield a chance to become a real weapon, and wide receiver JJ Buchanan, whose late-season growth hinted at more than just depth-chart filler.
Rod Moore is part of that equation on the other side of the ball, too, because Michigan needs him to look like the steady playmaker he has been before the injuries slowed him down. The safetys return would give the defense a familiar anchor, while Buchanans emergence as a possible complement to Andrew Marsh could help Underwood avoid too much of the burden on his own. The question now is whether those supporting pieces can turn promise into the kind of production that makes the quarterbacks job manageable. [Read more 🡒]