It has been a very fruitful year for Michigan when it comes to sending players to professional sports leagues. Between the NFL Draft, NBA Draft, and NHL Draft, Michigan is the only school in all of college athletics to have a player selected in each.
You heard that right, no other school in college athletics did what the Wolverines were able to accomplish this year. While Michigan didn't have a first-round pick in the NFL Draft, six Wolverines were still selected between the second and seventh rounds. The NBA Draft was wildly successful for Michigan, with all three players selected within the top 12 spots.
The NHL Draft was just as successful for Michigan with three players selected, one in the first, one in the third, and one in the sixth rounds.
Michigan is THE ONLY school in all of college athletics to have players selected in the each of this year’s NFL, NBA, and NHL drafts.
— Barstool Michigan (@BarstoolUofM) June 28, 2026
The Michigan Difference.#everythingschool pic.twitter.com/rkCpFd3NDL
Here is a list of every Michigan players selected in the NFL, NBA, and NHL Draft this year:
- Derrick Moore: (NFL Draft) Round 2, Pick 44 to the Detroit Lions
- Marlin Klein: (NFL Draft) Round 2, Pick 59 to the Houston Texans
- Jaishawn Barham: (NFL Draft) Round 3, Pick 92 to the Dallas Cowboys
- Jimmy Rolder: (NFL Draft) Round 4, Pick 118 to the Detroit Lions
- Max Bredeson: (NFL Draft) Round 5, Pick 159 to the Minnesota Vikings
- Rayshaun Benny (NFL Draft) Round 7, Pick 250 to the Baltimore Ravens
- Morez Johnson Jr.: (NBA Draft) Round 1, Pick 9 to the Dallas Mavericks
- Yaxel Lendeborg: (NBA Draft) Round 1, Pick 11 to the Golden State Warriors
- Aday Mara: (NBA Draft) Round 1, Pick 12 to the Oklahoma City Thunder
- J.P. Hurlbert: (NHL Draft) Round 1, Pick 23 to the Detroit Red Wings
- Adam Valentini: (NHL Draft) Round 3, Pick 96 to the Utah Mammoth
- Noah Kosick: (NHL Draft) Round 6, Pick 192 to the Anaheim Ducks
Michigan's magical year hasn't been completely successful
While it is great to send so many players to the pros, that doesn't mean it has brought Michigan a ton of success this year. The biggest success for Michigan this year was the National Championship that basketball brought home, but it is now marred a bit by the fact that head coach Dusty May left a few months later.
It is the second time in three years that Michigan has lost a title-winning coach shortly after bringing it back to Ann Arbor. Then, to move on to football, Michigan dealt with another head coaching scandal with Sherrone Moore, who was quickly fired by the Wolverines. Now, that has brought new head coach Kyle Whittingham to Ann Arbor, which has worked out very well for the Wolverines.
Michigan hockey saw solid success, bringing home another Big Ten title. The Wolverines cruised through the NCAA Tournament into the Frozen Four, but fell in a nail-biting double overtime loss to Denver. So while the success was there, not bringing home a National Championship on the ice feels like a bust.
Another year has come and gone in college athletics, but things could be looking up for Michigan this next season, and hopefully, they will be as successful in the pro drafts as they were this past year.
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