Michigan Star Transfer EDGE Rusher Goes In-Depth on Journey to Ann Arbor

In January, new Michigan head coach Kyle Whittingham made a key addition during the transfer portal window by bringing over All-American EDGE rusher John Henry Daley from Utah.

While the connections to Whittingham and his staff are obvious for Daley, there were still some questions about the Wolverines that needed to be answered before he joined the program coming over from the West Coast.

Plus, Daley also had other schools on his radar other than Michigan, as he kicked off his visit schedule with a trip to Notre Dame before coming to Ann Arbor for a visit.

Initially, Daley had other school he was set to take a trip to, but those never happened as Daley made up his mind that he was going to be a Wolverine after the trip to Ann Arbor.

When speaking to On3's Ethan McDowell from The Wolverine, Daley described his process to Michigan as a "very spiritual experience."

Sep 13, 2025; Laramie, Wyoming, USA; Utah Utes defensive end John Henry Daley (90) celebrates his sack in the first quarter against the Wyoming Cowboys at Jonah Field at War Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Daley on being a Wolverine

“Obviously, Michigan was on the list (of schools Daley was considering), and I had a lot of other schools as well,” Daley said in the interview with The Wolverine. “I said, ‘Okay, I really want to receive an answer for this, so God, can you please answer my prayer?’

"I named a couple specific things I want to see happen if it was meant to be Michigan. And sure enough, the next morning we got a call, and everything that I prayed about the night before, all of it was answered that following morning, and I just knew that it was the right spot to be.”

Daley told McDowell his reasons for choosing the Wolverines were "extremely personal," but once he received the answers he was looking for to his questions, he decided to shut his recruitment down and make his commitment to Michigan.

"They told me that they know what they’re building over here and what we’re going to be able to accomplish as a team this next season, and they were super, super pumped to have me be a part of that,” Daley said.

John Henry Daley tackles — Sep 6, 2025; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Cal Poly Mustangs quarterback Ty Dieffenbach (7) avoids a tackle by Utah Utes defensive end John Henry Daley (90) during the first quarter at Rice-Eccles Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images | Rob Gray-Imagn Images

Daley, who was ranked as the No. 9 player nationally in the transfer portal, said his time in Ann Arbor is off to a fantastic start, telling The Wolverine he is enjoying different aspects of campus and the city of Ann Arbor itself.

"I’m sure glad to be here at Michigan,” Daley said. “Man, it’s everything that they say and more. It is fantastic.”

Daley added that the Michigan staff, which includes defensive ends coach Lewis Powell, who coached Daley at Utah, is full of men who are preaching the right messages.

"We’ve got fantastic leaders who go out there and do everything that needs to be done,” Daley said. “Whether they want to or not, doesn’t matter. They’re doing it regardless because that’s what they expect out of us as well.”

Daley totaled 48 total tackles last season, including 17.5 tackles for loss and 11.5 sacks before an injury sidelined him toward the end of the year.

He told The Wolverine he views his success last season as a great foundation and something he can build upon heading into 2026.

"I feel like that’s the floor—not the ceiling— of what I’m going to be able to do,” Daley said. “Obviously, I just need to keep on attacking my rehab and doing everything that’s necessary, but I’ll be back, and I won’t be back to where I was, but I’ll be better than I’ve ever been.”