When Michigan was in chaos after some major coaching changes, the 2026 commit from Ann Arbor trusted the plan, with all the programs rushing to reach his high school coach, asking him to reconsider his decision. He never budged. Now, under head coach Kyle Whittingham, that same athlete is turning heads in another sport.

Michigan tight end signee Mason Bonner is making waves off the football field in an impressive winter run, which includes averaging 25 points, 15 rebounds, and 3 blocks this season. The highlight of his run came with a recent 26-point outburst.

That athletic versatility has always been part of Bonner’s story. Long before the headlines, he was an eighth grader grinding on B&B Basketball Academy’s B team, still figuring things out. He went from being a raw multi-sport kid to becoming a four-year varsity contributor at Mullen under HC Jeremy Bennett.

He lined up everywhere, including wide receiver, defensive end, and even punter. He played through injuries along the way and led the Mustangs to the CHSAA Class 5A state quarterfinals in his senior year.

“What he (Bonner) does for his size, that’s a God-given talent… what he does with his hips, dropping in his routs, in and out of his break,” said Bennett.

Bonner had offers from multiple Power Four schools across the country, but he chose Michigan back in May 2025. Then, in December, everything shifted after Sherrone Moore was fired.

Back at home, the family felt the shock too.

“We were experiencing it in real time like everyone else, wondering, ‘Is this really happening?” said Lindsay Bonner, Mason’s mom. “Things did spin for 48 hours.”

Mason felt the disappointment, but he leaned on his faith and family.

“I was disappointed, upset about it. Kind of confused. Questioning, ‘Like seriously?’” Bonner admitted earlier this week. “But I realized it is God’s plan. Once I talked to my family, coaches, and friends, I calmed down. And good things started to happen.”

And as long as Michigan still wanted him, he was staying. Bonner’s loyalty to the program is now being matched by his dominance in basketball, giving the Michigan faithful something to cheer about.

Kyle Whittingham’s new signee has Michigan fans dreaming big

As the box scores hit social media, Michigan fans flooded their heartfelt comments. “If he grows another inch or two… we might be watching him on the hardwood instead of the football field. GO BLUE!!!!!!” one fan wrote, while another jumped straight to the obvious question: “Is he playing both sports for us?”

Someone even tagged Michigan basketball coach Dusty May, saying, “I bet @CoachDustyMay would love to have him as well!” Others leaned fully into the moment: “Let him get some burn in basketball when we are smacking teams hahaha” and “Let’s go, Mason!!” Fans were really buying into the idea of what this guy can do.

And maybe there’s a reason it doesn’t sound so crazy, because we’ve seen stuff like this happen in college sports before. Just this winter, for example, Mark Zackery, a freshman corner at Notre Dame, actually jumped from football to the basketball team once the season ended, which surprised a lot of people. It didn’t last long, though, only about four games, and then he ended up back with football again.

Beyond all the hype, fans also noticed the minor details. “Mason putting on good weight, too,” one said, watching his growth like family would. Analyst Brice Marich said, “He’ll bring elite athleticism and playmaking ability to Ann Arbor. Until he gets to campus, he’s just dunking on people.” That’s the kid who never chased the spotlight, but now he has people rallying around him.