Roddy Gayle Jr. Suddenly Becomes Michigan Basketball's Biggest Hope

A lot will be riding on Roddy Gayle Jr.'s eligibility.

USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Michigan received the worst possible news on Tuesday. Star freshman Brandon McCoy Jr. is set to miss the entire 2026-27 season with an ACL injury suffered in the Wolverines' final exhibition game overseas.

McCoy Jr. started all three games for Michigan, but in the final game, he slipped on the court and went down 20 seconds into the contest. McCoy Jr. grimaced in pain, and wasn't able to get up on his own power.

It was apparent things weren't good for McCoy Jr. and the injury news confirmed it.

A big hole to fill

Entering the new season, McCoy Jr. was the likely leader to start at the '3' for Michigan alongside both Elliot Cadeau and Trey McKenney. Ricky Liburd was also battling for the job, but it was going to be hard for Mike Boynton Jr. to keep McCoy Jr. on the bench.

The Wolverines weren't a super deep team to begin with. Even after landing point guard Kenny Noland from Columbia — whose eligibility is up in the air — Michigan wasn't going to have many veterans coming off the bench.

Boynton Jr. doesn't want to have to rely on playing three or four true freshmen in 2026-27, and with McCoy Jr. going down, his bench suddenly became of the utmost importance.

Michigan needs Roddy Gayle Jr. back

IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Roddy Gayle Jr. played two seasons at Michigan and his eligibility is up in the air. It's technically over, as he completed four seasons of college basketball and played in the NBA Summer League.

But Michigan would welcome Gayle Jr. back with open arms and that's the attempt. As many players in the class of 2022 are doing, battling with the NCAA to be granted an additional year of eligibility, Gayle Jr. has joined the fight.

He was with the team overseas and has been spotted with the Wolverines in Ann Arbor, Gayle Jr. formally filed a lawsuit against the NCAA in hopes of gaining an additional season.

Gayle Jr. played two seasons at Ohio State before finishing his career at Michigan, helping the Wolverines win a national title. In his final season with Michigan, he averaged 7.3 points and 3.3 rebounds, while averaging 31.8% from three.

He would immediately give the Wolverines the boost they needed to compete in 2026-27, while gaining a valuable player in terms of experience. Now, Michigan has to wait and see if he wins his battle, and losing McCoy Jr. will always sting, but the Wolverines would have a solid plan in place.

Sign up for the Michigan Wolverines on SI newsletter for more free coverage