Lott IMPACT Trophy Watch List Proves Why Michigan Prioritized John Henry Daley, Smith Snowden

Michigan needed to add some players after losing a lot on defense in 2025 and this further proves why the Wolverines made these additions.

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With college football in full offseason mode, early watch lists are starting to come out ahead of the 2026 season.

The latest was the Lott IMPACT Trophy Watch List for the 2026 season. The award goes to the defensive IMPACT player of the year for their impact on and off the field. There are 17 defensive backs, 16 defensive linemen and nine linebackers on the watch list, and Michigan had two players named to it.

2026 Lott IMPACT Trophy Watch List

👀 John Henry Daley
👀 Smith Snowden pic.twitter.com/y7HcxbJQ46

— Michigan Football (@UMichFootball) May 22, 2026

Both Utah transfers John Henry Daley and Smith Snowden were recognized early on and will be closely watched on the Wolverines' defense in 2026 under new head coach Kyle Whittingham.

While we already knew why Michigan targeted both players, this further proves why both signings were crucial for the Wolverines' defense in 2026.

Edge John Henry Daley gets the job done on and off the field

Fans who have seen John Henry Daley play know what he can do on the field, but some may not know why he does off the field. Remember, this award goes to the player who does both and Daley is up there with anyone.

Daley and his brother, Michael, run a non-profit — called the Daley Foundation — that provides extracurricular opportunities for kids with special needs.

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On the field, Daley was a second-team All-American a year ago with Utah. Suffering a season-ending injury, Daley still tallied 11.5 sacks and 17.5 tackles for loss, which was towards the top of the college football nation in 2025.

With Michigan losing the likes of Derrick Moore, Jaishawn Barham, and TJ Guy, the Wolverines needed to add another dynamic edge rusher to the team, and Daley fits the billing. Despite suffering the Achilles injury, Daley is expected to be a full-go on June 1 and wants to prove he still has the 'it factor'.

"Well, so some guys just have that it factor on how to get home, how to get after the quarterback," DC Jay Hill said earlier this spring. "He’s got the it factor. Sometimes you don’t even know why he’s getting after the quarterback, but he is. I mean, he’ll make a move that somebody else will do the same thing. He gets home, the other guys don’t. He’s just got that true knack to get home."

CB Smith Snowden voted most inspiring teammate

Smith Snowden was a versatile piece for Utah last season, playing on both sides of the football. He is a Swiss-Army knife on the football field, and an inspiring teammate off the field. Snowden was voted by his teammates in 2025 as the recipient of the 22 Forever Memorial Scholarship.

On the field, the impact was also felt. Defensively, Snowden tallied 37 tackles, 11 PBUs, along with two interceptions, and on offense, Snowden caught 13 passes for 57 yards, while carrying the ball eight times for 40 yards, scoring one touchdown.

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Michigan could utilize Snowden's skillset on offense, but he is expected to make an immediate impact on defense in 2026 for the Wolverines. With the return of Jyaire Hill and Zeke Berry, Michigan has a chance to have one of the top secondaries in 2026.

"Yeah, I think just for myself, obviously, it's coming back healthy, being able to play a part in this defense," said Snowden earlier in the spring. "And just as a defense whole, I know Wu and Shug kind of talked about it, but we just want to be the best. You know, we look at the stats from previous years, the teams that win, the teams that go where we want to go, they're the top of the every single category. So just being able to, you know, be at top of every category with takeaways, third downs, points per game, just all of that. We want to be at the top of all those categories."