2025-26 Player Power Rankings: Roddy Gayle Jr.

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Over the last few years, we’ve borrowed an idea from Adam Jardy of the Columbus Dispatch to roll out our season preview player profiles in a power-ranking format. We’ll preview every player on the roster while ranking them by some arbitrary combination of ability, importance, and role.

We’re bringing the same thing back this season. I ranked each scholarship player (1 through 13) based on their expected impact on the 2025-26 season, and we’ll dive into each player in-depth as we near tip-off. This approach is more straightforward than a position-by-position preview because those often get bogged down in a debate about each player’s position rather than their importance and role on the roster.

Next up is senior wing guard Roddy Gayle Jr.

Previously: No. 7 LJ Cason, No. 8 Trey McKenney, No. 9 Will Tschetter, No. 10 Winters Grady, No. 11 Oscar Goodman, No. 12 Malick Kordel and No. 13 Ricky Liburd 

No. 6: Roddy Gayle Jr.

#11 | 6-5, 210 pounds | Senior | Guard

At sixth on the list this year, Roddy Gayle Jr. represents the upside on the roster — he would have easily been in the top three in this exercise last year — but also the uncertainty.

At his best, Gayle has looked like a player who could reach All-Big Ten caliber. He scored 26 points in the biggest win of Michigan’s season and won other games with timely shots down the stretch. At his worst, he was almost unplayable in January and February and fell out of the starting lineup as his shooting confidence evaporated.

Whether Michigan gets the November, February or March version of Roddy Gayle this season — or all three at different times — is a significant swing factor in how the year plays out.

Strengths

Rim pressure and versatility

Gayle’s ability to get to the rim — with or without the ball — is the crux of his offensive role. He was third on the roster in made field goals at the basket last year (trailing the seven-footers), and his ability to create those shots at the basket from a perimeter spot is a weapon.

Gayle shot 56% at the rim last season, with 86 makes.

His ability to score at the rim comes from multiple actions — in transition, as a cutter, driving closeouts and even as a pick-and-roll handler. Now with a year in May’s system, Gayle’s ability to play multiple offensive roles should fit in nicely with a versatile roster.