What John Henry Daley's season-ending injury means for Utah football moving forward

Utes lost their top pass-rusher to injury during comeback win over Kansas State

Utah Utes defensive end John Henry Daley (90) went down with a non-contact injury during the first quarter of the team's 51-47 comeback win over the Kansas State Wildcats. | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Kyle Whittingham confirmed Monday that Utah defensive end John Henry Daley suffered a season-ending injury during the first quarter of the Utes' 51-47 comeback win over Kansas State on Saturday.

Whittingham didn't elaborate on what kind of injury Daley sustained beyond saying it was "long-term." The redshirt sophomore, who had 3.5 tackles for loss and 2.0 sacks in less than a quarter of play, returned to the sidelines in the second quarter with a boot around his left foot after going down earlier in the game.

"Unfortunately, it's a season ending injury," Whittingham said of Daley's injury during his weekly press conference. "Just tough to see that happened to John Henry."

All-American tackle Spencer Fano and leading receiver Ryan Davis were also banged up during the Kansas State game. Whittingham said more info on both players would come out in time for Tuesday's availability report for the Utes' road game at Kansas (Friday 10 a.m. MT, ESPN).

A report Sunday from CBS Sports' Matt Zenitz indicated Daley's injury was feared to be season-ending. The verification from Whittingham on Monday meant the Utes would have to finish out the 2025-26 campaign without their top pass-rusher.

What it means for Utah

It would be hard to understate how impactful Daley's productivity off the edge has been for the Utes' defense. The Chuck Bednarik Award semifinalist and quarterfinalist for the Lott IMPACT Trophy award led the country in tackles for loss (17.5) and was tied for No. 2 in sacks (11.5) going into the final week of the regular season. He was also third on the team in total tackles (48) and checked in as the only Utah player to force multiple fumbles through its first 11 games.

With Daley leading the charge, Utah was one of three Big 12 teams with 30 or more sacks through Week 13, ranking behind only Texas Tech (33) and Arizona State (31) in that category. The Utes were also No. 3 in the league in scoring defense, allowing 18.5 points per game after giving up a season-high 47 to the Wildcats on Saturday, and opponent third down conversions, yielding just 31.2% successful attempts going into Week 14.

The Utes went into a Black Friday contest at Kansas needing a win to stay alive in the Big 12 title race — and subsequently, keep their College Football Playoff hopes intact.

Tuesday's CFP rankings reveal that Utah's 12-point rally against Kansas State will shed light on how the selection committee views such a narrow win, as well as the impact Daley's injury has on the Utes' postseason aspirations.

In addition to strength of schedule and head-to-head competition, part of the selection committee's process takes into account the unavailability of key players and coaches that would have an effect on a team's performance in the playoffs.

Given Daley's importance to the Utah defense, it would not be a surprise to see the selection committee factor his impending absence into its rankings for Week 14. The Utes currently sit at No. 12 and as the second team out of the 12-team bracket behind BYU, which can clinch a spot in the Big 12 championship game with a win Saturday over UCF (11 a.m. MT, ESPN2).

Only time will tell how long it'll be for Daley to make a full recovery. The 2025-26 campaign was his third season of college football and second with the Utes after he began his career with BYU in 2023.

It wouldn't be all that surprising to see Daley receive votes for an All-American team at the end of the season.

Who will step up?

Utah has a few options it can go to as a Band-Aid for the defensive end spot opposite of Logan Fano, including Kash Dillon and Lance Holtzclaw.

Dillon, a redshirt freshman from Draper, Utah, could be a significant piece to the Utes' future defensive line group if he decides to stick around in Salt Lake City. He's No. 3 on the team in sacks (3.5) despite playing a limited number of snaps behind Fano and Daley, though he's provided quite the spark off the sidelines in his 11 appearances.

Holtzclaw, a transfer from Washington, has put together the best season of his four-year career to this point, with career-highs in total tackles (19) and tackles for loss (3.0) through 11 games played.

Either edge rusher would suffice the Utes' need at the position for their upcoming matchup with the Jayhawks (5-6, 3-5 Big 12), who'll likely come out swinging after losing by 24 points to Iowa State last weekend. An upset over Utah would also make Kansas bowl eligible for the third time in the last four seasons under head coach Lance Leipold.

Expect Utah defensive coordinator Morgan Scalley to dial up an array of blitzes as the Utes look to contain veteran quarterback Jalon Daniels and the Kansas offense. The Jayhawks are No. 9 in the Big 12 in scoring (28.7 points per game) and have given up the seventh-fewest sacks after Daniels left the Iowa State game completely clean.

Utah would remain in contention for a spot in the Big 12 championship game with a win, though it would also need BYU to beat UCF; Arizona State knocking off Arizona; and — probably the least-likely outcome of them all — for West Virginia to upset Texas Tech in order to leapfrog its way into the top two of the standings.