Michigan football lands transfer portal EDGE John Henry Daley

The Michigan Wolverines have landed a transfer portal commitment from former Utah EDGE John Henry Daley, a source tells TheWolverine.com. The prized target visited Ann Arbor on Wednesday.

He has two seasons of eligibility remaining.

Daley, who the On3 Industry Ranking tabs the No. 8 overall transfer and No. 3 EDGE rusher, racked up 48 total tackles with 11.5 sacks, 17.5 tackles for loss and two forced fumbles this season under Whittingham before suffering a season-ending injury in November. However, he is expected to be ready in full for the 2026 season. Daley was having a career game against Kansas State before being sidelined due to injury. He had already logged 3.5 TFLs and 2.0 sacks in the first quarter before his early exit.

RELATED: Michigan football transfer portal profile – Utah EDGE John Henry Daley

Daley, who played for Michigan head coach Kyle Whittingham at Utah the last two seasons, was a high-motor presence with the Utes during his breakout season

 ”[He brings] tons of energy,” Whittingham said this fall. “He loves the game. Nobody loves football more than John Henry Daley. He’s the same way at practice every day. He’s excited about practice. He’s upbeat. He’s a great leader for us, and he’s really developed over the course of the last year into a really good player.”

Daley, an Alpine, Utah native, was a three-star recruit coming out of high school and enrolled at BYU in 2023, playing in three games and recording three tackles and maintaining his redshirt season. After transferring to Utah in 2024, Daley played in seven games with 4 total tackles, a sack and a tackle for loss.

Daley will also reunite with his position coach, Lewis Powell, who followed Whittingham over from Utah and will coach the defensive ends and edge rushers. The addition of Daley checks off a major box for the Wolverines, who are losing a pair of EDGE defenders to the 2026 NFL Draft in Derrick Moore and Jaishawn Barham.