One Michigan Basketball Player 'Flying Under the Radar' Entering Mike Boynton's First Season

Despite a coaching change, Michigan basketball will roll into the 2026-27 season with high hopes and major expectations. The Wolverines are coming off winning a national title this past season, and even with winning it all, Michigan's offseason wasn't short of heart-racing news.

Dusty May departed and Mike Boynton Jr. is now the head coach. He has already hired his first assistant coach, and Boynton Jr. nearly salvaged the entire roster, losing just L.J. Cason to the transfer portal.

May built, on paper, a stellar roster heading into the new season, and while fans likely know who the stars are going to be, there are a few playing flying under the radar.

Quinn Costello might play a bigger role than expected

In May's final class as the head coach, he left by landing one of the top recruiting classes in the nation. Brandon McCoy Jr., a late addition, was the headliner of the class. He is expected to compete for a starting role right away, but Michigan's class has other players who could compete for big roles in Year 1.

Former top-35 recruit Quinn Costello, a 6'10" forward, is the player Mike Boynton Jr. named as someone who might be flying under the radar. Recently appearing on Defend the Block, Boynton Jr. said Costello will have to show he's capable of playing in live games, but expect him to play a bigger role than some fans anticipated.

Quinn Costello (8) during the McDonalds All American Boys Game at Desert Diamond Arena — IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

"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."

The best fit for Costello

Tennessee transfer J.P. Estrella and Cincinnati big man Moustapha Thiam are locked in as the starting forward and center on the team. Michigan also landed LSU forward Jalen Reed, who can play different positions, but has had injury scares the past two seasons.

Reed might not start the year on the court, which would pave a path for Costello to see big minutes early. Michigan doesn't have a true big man who can play behind Thiam, but Costello could. If he's already gained weight and bulked up, that bodes really well for Michigan.

Costello can play either the 4 or the 5 for Michigan, and if he comes out showing he's more than capable of playing big minutes for the Wolverines, that will clear up and concern fans might have about depth at center.

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