The freshman class in college basketball this season was one of the greatest ever, from Darryn Peterson, AJ Dybantsa and Cameron Boozer on down.

In a twist of fate, it could be a team led by a sixth-year senior that cuts down the nets when all is said and done.

Michigan’s Yaxel Lendeborg is in his first and only season in Ann Arbor, but he entered the college ranks at the same time as some players who have already been in the NBA for five seasons. Lendeborg’s journey didn’t begin like any of the blue-chip prospects in his recruiting class, but it could end with a national championship.

Here’s a look back at the surprising names from Lendeborg’s 2020 recruiting class.

MORE: Inside Michigan’s Final Four history

Yaxel Lendeborg recruiting class

Lendeborg finished up high school in 2020, but he didn’t generate offers in the Division I ranks after academic eligibility issues limited him to only 11 high school games. He instead committed to junior college Arizona Western, where he started to play his best basketball and put himself on the radar of Division I programs.

Several other players who are now brand names in the NBA were part of Lendeborg’s 2020 recruiting class, and their paths have been much more straightforward. Here are some of them, ranked by 247 Sports composite rankings.

RankPlayerSchool1Cade CunninghamOklahoma State2Jalen GreenNone3Evan MobleyUSC4Jonathan KumingaNone7Scottie BarnesFlorida State11Jalen SuggsGonzaga13Jalen JohnsonDuke14Caleb LoveNorth Carolina22Walker KesslerNorth Carolina28Mark WilliamsDuke43Hunter DickinsonMichigan46Moses MoodyArkansas50RJ DavisNorth Carolina

MORE: Why Yaxel Lendeborg turned down more money from Kentucky

Cade Cunningham

In Lendeborg’s defense, Cunningham is actually a full year older than the Michigan star, but the two came out of high school at the same time. 

Cunningham spent one season at Oklahoma State before the Pistons made him the No. 1 pick of the 2021 draft. After a quiet start and an injury-riddled second season, Cunningham emerged as an All-Star in 2024-25 and spent some time this season as an MVP candidate while powering Detroit to the top of the Eastern Conference. Cunningham has already signed his second NBA contract.

Evan Mobley

Mobley is finishing up his fifth season in the NBA, with an All-Star selection and Defensive Player of the Year Award under his belt. The Cavaliers star has already received a second NBA contract and has scored more than 5,500 points in the professional ranks.

Scottie Barnes

Barnes, selected one pick after Mobley, has likewise already become an All-Star with a lucrative contract extension. While he wasn’t ready to put up massive numbers at Florida State, Barnes quickly saw his game translate to the NBA and won Rookie of the Year honors four years ago.

Jalen Suggs

Jalen Suggs hit one of the most iconic shots in NCAA Tournament history — five years ago. Since then, the former Gonzaga star has morphed from a defensive standout with the Orlando Magic into a solid all-around guard and received a contract extension for more than $30 million annually.

Caleb Love

Love isn’t someone who jumped right to the NBA, but he spent a full five seasons in college between North Carolina and Arizona, to the point that some started to wonder how he was still playing college basketball. Love is now with the Portland Trail Blazers, while Lendeborg is finishing up his final season at the collegiate level.

MORE: Yaxel Lendeborg NBA Draft scouting report

How old is Yaxel Lendeborg?

One distinction between Lendeborg and most of the top players in his class is he graduated high school at a younger age in comparison. Lendeborg didn’t turn 18 until September of 2020, when he was already preparing for his first junior college season, and he won’t turn 24 until this coming September. Cunningham, Mobley, Barnes, Suggs and Love are already 24, and some will turn 25 before Lendeborg turns 24.

Where did Yaxel Lendeborg transfer from?

Lendeborg transferred to Michigan from UAB, where he spent two seasons after starting out at Arizona Western.

Following an All-AAC season with the Blazers, Lendeborg declared for the NBA Draft and entered the transfer portal. He passed on the opportunity to be a late first-round pick and committed to Michigan, where he has only impressed against high-level competition and has the Wolverines in the mix for a national championship.