Michigan Wolverines make history by landing 5-star duo in basketball, football for first time since 1991

ANN ARBOR, Mich. – The University of Michigan athletics department has made history with its recent recruiting success, which is bringing back memories of former Michigan Wolverines athletes in the early 1990s.

The last time Michigan signed an in-state five-star basketball player and an in-state five-star football player in the same calendar year was in 1991 when Fab Five member Chris Webber and bruiser running back Tyrone Wheatley crafted their paths to Ann Arbor.

Second-year head coaches Dusty May, coming off a Sweet 16 run, and Sherrone Moore, coming off a ReliaQuest Bowl victory while upsetting Alabama and Ohio State in the process, will be getting their reinforcements as the nation’s top recruit in basketball and football now play for the men in maize.

In basketball, the Wolverines recruited incoming freshman guard Trey McKenney, who was named Michigan’s Mr. Basketball out of Orchard Lake St. Mary’s High School for the 2024-25 season.

McKenney, a Flint native and a five-star signee, became the 13th Wolverine to be named Mr. Basketball, joining:

1. Robert Henderson, 1982 (Lansing Eastern High School)
2. Antoine Joubert, 1983 (Detroit Southwestern High School)
3. Glen Rice, 1985 (Flint Northwestern High School)
4. Terry Mills, 1986 (Romulus High School)
5. Michael Talley, 1989 (Detroit Cooley High School)
6. Chris Webber, 1991 (Detroit Country Day High School)
7. Willie Mitchell, 1994 (Detroit Pershing High School)
8. Robert “Tractor” Traylor, 1995 (Detroit Murry-Wright High School)
9. Dion Harris, 2003 (Detroit Redford High School)
10. Manny Harris, 2007 (Detroit Redford High School)
11. Isaiah Livers, 2017 (Kalamazoo Central High School)
12. Phat Phat Brooks, 2024 (Grand Rapids Catholic Central High School)
13. Trey McKenney, 2025 (Orchard Lake St. Mary’s High School

Before being named Mr. Basketball, McKenney was named a McDonald’s All-American on Jan. 27, becoming the 24th Wolverine in program history to achieve such an honor.

He also became the Wolverines’ first incoming recruit to be selected as an All-American since 2021, joining three future NBA draft picks, Caleb Houston, Moussa Diabate, and Kobe Bufkin.

McKenny is a 6′4″, 225-pound combo guard chosen to play on the McDonald’s East team and scored seven points in 17 minutes.

He shot 3-10 from the field and 1-5 from the three-point line while adding three rebounds, one assist, and one blocked shot as they fell 105-92.

Before the game, McKenney became the first Wolverines player from the state of Michigan to be selected as a McDonald’s All-American since Bufkin.

Michigan’s McDonald’s All-Americans:

1. Tim McCormick (1980)
2. Eric Turner (1981)
3. Richard Rellford (1982)
4. Antoine Joubert (1983)
5. Gary Grant (1984)
6. Rumeal Robinson,
7. Terry Mills (1986)
8. Sean Higgins (1987)
9. Juwan Howard, Jimmy King, Jalen Rose, Chris Webber (1991)
10. Bobby Crawford (1993)
11. Willie Mitchell, Jerod Ward (1994)
12. Louis Bullock, Robert Traylor, Albert White (1995)
13. LaVell Blanchard (1999)
14. Daniel Horton (2002)
15. Kobe Bufkin, Moussa Diabate, Caleb Houstan (2021)
16. Trey McKenney (2025)

Bryce Underwood

Joining McKenney this fall is five-star quarterback Bryce Underwood out of Belleville High School.

Underwood, who was the No. 1 recruit in the nation, initially committed to the Louisiana State University Tigers (LSU) before flipping to his home state/childhood team as he received a Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) offer from Michigan north of $10 million over four years.

Underwood, the first No. 1 recruit to commit to Michigan since the 2016 class, where defensive end Rashan Gary did so, was thinking about winning another state championship.

The 6′3 “, 205-pound dual-threat quarterback led Belleville to a 10-2 record with 2,095 yards passing, 29 touchdowns, and three interceptions while also toting the rock for 489 yards and one touchdown.

Underwood made his first appearance for the Wolverines during the annual Spring Game held on April 19, 2025.

The standout five-star recruit took the field with high expectations. Fans were eager to see how the phenom would perform in front of a crowd that included between 40,000 and 45,000 fans who packed The Big House.

On his first possession of his college career, Underwood took a sack in the shotgun position before completing a screen pass to receiver Channing Goodwin to end his first drive as a Wolverines quarterback.

His second drive went exactly like his first as he didn’t complete a pass, but he did get his first penalty of his college career, drawing a delay of game before missing on a deep pass down the home sideline, leading to a punt.

After establishing the run game, Underwood drew another delay of the game before hitting Goodwin on back-to-back passes to move the chains down to the Maize 20-yard line.

He’s been hitting Goodwin early and often before moving the ball to the six-yard line after a catch and run by Jalen Hoffman.

Underwood hit Hoffman to extend the drive of the blue team before running back Micah Ka’apana scored the first touchdown of the game as the blue team went up 10-0.

Underwood should’ve had two touchdowns, but the receivers dropped the ball in the end zone.

The first came on a slant route across the middle of the end zone, which was ripped away from the receiver while falling to the ground.

His second touchdown attempt should’ve come on a fade route to a receiver on the away side endzone that was dropped as well.

He went back to Goodwin, who was running open down the field, but ended in an overthrow out of the back of the endzone.

Underwood got back on track in the fourth quarter after showing his scrambling skills, gaining 17 yards on the ground for a first down.

But the drive stalled on the 33-yard line, leading to a missed field goal.

The game ended in a walk-off double flea flicker as Underwood hit Hoffman for an 88-yard catch and run for his first career touchdown.

Underwood finished the day with 187 yards passing and one touchdown, to the amazement of the Michigan fans.

Moore talked about Underwood’s performance after the Spring Game.

Webber went on to become a Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame player, and Wheatley was inducted into the National High School Hall of Fame and the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame.

However, both men left a lasting legacy at the University of Michigan; let’s hope McKenney and Underwood can do the same.

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