Moustapha Thiam has made his call, and now Michigan is waiting on the biggest one left.
Thiam announced earlier Tuesday morning that he is returning to the Wolverines, a significant boost for a roster that suddenly found itself in flux after Dusty May left for the Dallas Mavericks head coaching job. With May gone, the focus has shifted fast to whether the rest of Michigan’s portal class will stay put under interim coach Mike Boynton.
That uncertainty now centers on J.P. Estrella.
Estrella remains the most notable Michigan player without a decision, and his situation carries real weight for a team trying to defend a national title. Michigan added Thiam and Estrella as part of May’s transfer haul after the championship run, but the coaching change reopened everything.
Thiam is now locked in. Estrella is still weighing his next step.
May’s portal work was important because Michigan had to reload an entire frontcourt. Yaxel Lendeborg, Aday Mara and Morez Johnson Jr. all went to the NBA, leaving obvious holes to fill.
Thiam and Estrella were supposed to help patch that gap. Now, with Thiam staying, Estrella is the final major question mark.
Michigan’s transfer approach this offseason was shaped in part by finances, with the program unable to keep pace with some of the bigger offers out there, including what Louisville was putting on the table. Even so, May brought in three players from the portal soon after the national championship, giving the Wolverines the pieces they needed to restock.
Boynton’s presence appears to have helped keep things steady after May’s exit. Michigan veteran Trey McKinney was a vocal supporter of Boynton getting the job, a reflection of the relationship they built in Ann Arbor last season. For newer transfers, though, the decision is more complicated, especially for players who came because of May.
Estrella has still not made his move, and time is tightening. The 15-day window opened when athletic director Warde Manuel announced Boynton as interim head coach last Monday, which leaves Estrella roughly five days to decide whether to stay in Ann Arbor or test the Transfer Portal.
If he does enter the portal, the market may not be especially friendly. Most rosters are already full, and there likely isn’t much NIL money left to go around. For Michigan, the cleanest outcome may be the simplest one: Estrella stays, joins Thiam, and gives the Wolverines the size and presence they need to chase another title.
In Other News...
ESPN Just Made An Unforgivable Mistake With A Michigan Legend
ESPNs latest jersey-number feature was meant to be a fun walk through college football history, but it landed with a jolt in Ann Arbor when Michigan fans spotted a glaring mistake involving Anthony Carter. The former Wolverines star, who starred in maize and blue from 1979 to 1982, was the kind of player whose place in program lore is beyond dispute, which made the mix-up stand out immediately.
What makes the error sting a little more is that it is still sitting there uncorrected, leaving a sloppy impression on a player whose Michigan rsum speaks for itself. Carter was one of the defining receivers of his era, piling up 141 catches, 2,681 yards and 31 touchdowns while earning major conference and national honors, so seeing his name mishandled in a national roundup is the sort of oversight that naturally gets noticed around the program. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan Is Suddenly In The Mix For A Massive 2028 TE
Michigan has wasted little time getting involved with the 2028 tight end market, and the early push says plenty about how the staff wants to build the next few classes. Kyle Whittingham has been active on the trail, with the Wolverines already casting a wide net at the position while also trying to keep the momentum going after a strong 2027 cycle. For a program that has long valued tight ends as a central part of its identity, getting in early matters, especially when the class is still young and relationships can still swing things.
Jordan McKinley is one of the names to watch in that group, and Michigan has clearly put itself in the conversation with the four-star prospect. The Wolverines are also in the mix for other top-end options at the position, which gives this pursuit a bigger feel than a simple one-off offer chase. If Michigan can turn those early conversations into real traction, it would be an important sign that the staff is not just filling out a board, but trying to set the tone for what comes next. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan Suddenly Faces A New Reality As Respect Starts To Slip
Michigans offseason suddenly looks a little different after the coaching change that sent Dusty May to the Dallas Mavericks and left Mike Boynton Jr. handling the interim role. The ripple effect showed up quickly in ESPNs latest way-too-early top 25, where the Wolverines slipped from No. 2 to No. 5, a reminder that even a roster with real talent can lose some shine when the bench boss changes.
Michigan still has reasons to believe it can stay in the national picture. The Wolverines are expected to bring back most of their top players and add a strong recruiting class, even after losing several big men and seniors, so the core of the team remains intact. The bigger question now is how much respect the program can hold onto while the staff situation settles, especially with the season still months away. [Read more 🡒]