Top 5 transfer portal landing spots for Utah EDGE John Henry Daley

After a quiet first two seasons of his college football career, John Henry Daley made plenty of noise for Utah this fall with 11.5 sacks, 17.5 tackles for loss, 2 forced fumbles and 48 tackles in 11 games.

He was a second-team AP All-America selection, first-team All-Big 12 and a semifinalist for the Chuck Bednarik Award given to the top defensive player in college football.

Now, the 6-foot-4 EDGE is headed back to the transfer portal when it officially opens Friday -- he spent a year at BYU before playing for the Utes the last two seasons -- and will surely be in high demand after his breakout.

Daley announced his transfer intentions Tuesday. He did not play in Utah's Las Vegas Bowl game vs. Nebraska this week because he sustained a lower body injury late in the regular season, but he expects to be fully healthy by spring. He has two years of eligibility remaining.

Daley is No. 3 on On3's ranking of the best players in the transfer portal.

Here are five potential landing spots for the star edge rusher.

Utah Utes defensive end John Henry Daley (90) | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

1. Michigan Wolverines

This is the obvious connection with former Utah coach Kyle Whittingham taking the Michigan job.

Playing for the Wolverines in the Big Ten would give Daley a much bigger spotlight as he looks to boost his NFL draft stock further and build off his breakout season.

There is plenty of buzz that Whittingham is hoping to bring longtime Utah defensive ends coach Lewis Powell to Michigan with him, which would only further make this an obvious move for Daley. But another connection is already in place as well. New Michigan defensive coordinator Jay Hill was the BYU DC when Daley played there in 2023.

2. BYU Cougars

Could Daley bring his college football career full-circle and finish it where he started?

He is from Utah and has spent his entire football career there so far. BYU was even closer to being a College Football Playoff team than the Utes this season and paid big to retain head coach Kalani Sitake when Penn State tried to poach him, so there is stability there even with Hill leaving the staff.

BYU has substantial financial backing -- Sitake wouldn't have turned down Penn State if he didn't believe he had the resources to build a national champion in Provo, Utah -- so it's certainly possible Daley can find a substantial NIL raise without having to leave home.

3. Miami Hurricanes

This is thinking outside the box just a little bit as there's no direct connection between Daley and Miami, but there is the reality that the Hurricanes are losing two star defensive ends in Rueben Bain Jr. and Akheem Mesidor to the NFL draft.

Miami is a big spender annually in the transfer market -- most notably at the quarterback position -- and will surely want to reload on defense after its impressive playoff run.

Miami is a long way from Utah geographically and culturally, but if it's purely a football move, then Daley should consider the Hurricanes.

4. Ohio State Buckeyes

This would be a painful outcome for Wolverines fans who have already assumed the Whittingham connection means Daley is coming to Ann Arbor, but if it's purely a football decision, what star player with the potential to be a high NFL draft pick wouldn't consider the Buckeyes?

Ohio State had the top defense in college football this year and could potentially lose both of its top edge rushers -- Caden Curry and Kenyatta Jackson Jr. -- to the NFL draft.

Ohio State is always going to reload as it expects to compete for national championships every year, so this is not a far-fetched possibility.

5. Oregon Ducks

Another big spender in the transfer market every year, Oregon could prioritize spending big on a game-wrecking edge defender with Matayo Uiagalelei and Teitum Tuioti projected as early-round draft picks if they choose to forgo their remaining eligibility and head to the NFL this year.

Oregon is losing defensive coordinator Tosh Lupoi as he takes over as head coach at Cal, but the Ducks have continuity nonetheless, as Chris Hampton was promoted internally to take over the role. Also, head coach Dan Lanning won a national championship as Georgia's defensive coordinator and is heavily involved on that side of the ball.

Lanning has turned the Ducks into a perennial playoff contender built on strong defense, and the program has the resources to compete with anyone NIL-wise.

It all makes a lot of sense for Daley to consider Oregon.