Michigan Suffers First Transfer Portal Loss Since Winning National Title

There certainly won't be a mass exodus in Ann Arbor after Michigan won its first national title since 1989, but in the transfer portal era — players are going to leave.

The Wolverines suffered their first transfer portal loss of the offseason as news broke that Winters Grady was entering the transfer portal.

Grady will leave Ann Arbor as a national champion with four years of eligibility remaining. The first-year player suffered a season-ending injury after seeing just nine games of action for Michigan. He was in a limited role to begin with, seeing just under six minutes of action. He leaves Ann Arbor averaging 2.9 points and 1.1 rebounds per game.

When Grady signed with Michigan, the Napa (CA) Prolific Prep was the 95th-ranked prospect in the 2026 recruiting class. According to the Composite, the 6'5" shooter was the 22nd-ranked small forward. He originally picked Michigan over both Oregon and Oklahoma, among others.

Grady will look for more playing time

Michigan signed a heck of a recruiting class in 2026, and it's possible it signed an even better one in 2027. Trey McKenney came along with Winters Grady, and the Wolverines signed four transfers last cycle — we know how that went — that all played ahead of Grady.

In a recent interview, Grady indicated he wanted to stay at Michigan, but he admitted when he signed with the Wolverines — he expected to play.

"I came here under the impression that I was going to play," Grady said. "Obviously, I mean, we didn't know we were going to be the number one team in the country when I committed here, and so, obviously, things change, and, I mean, you got to do what's best for the team, and whatever the coaches think is best, so, yeah. But, no, I wasn't initially planning on it [redshirting]."

While Grady could have came back and fought for a role on the team, there might have been signs pointing toward Grady's exit. One big sign was when Michigan landed 6'5" guard Brandon McCoy Jr. The five-star prospect committed to the Wolverines during Michigan's blowout win over Arizona in the Final Four.

McKenney had a big role as a true freshman, and we would expect the same out of McCoy, with a chance of starting.

Grady was known for his shooting ability, and it's likely that he will land with a program that will offer him a chance to start and succeed at the collegiate level.