Positive news on recovery for stud Michigan defender: John Henry Daley injury update

Michigan Wolverines football senior defensive end John Henry Daley transferred from Utah to U-M, following head coach Kyle Whittingham, for which he played for two seasons (2024-25) after spending his freshman campaign at BYU in 2023.

The 6-foot-4, 255-pound Alpine, Utah, native was one of the most productive pass rushers in the country last season, recording 11.5 sacks with 17.5 TFL, 2 forced fumbles and 1 pass breakup, earning first-team All-America honors. He did all of that despite missing the final two-and-a-half games, having gone down with a season-ending Achilles injury Nov. 22 against Kansas State.

Speaking with reporters Monday afternoon, Daley provided an update on his status.

“Physically, upper body-wise, I’m probably the best I’ve ever been in my life,” he said with a smile. “With regards to my injury, I’m coming along really well. I’m starting to jog and run right now. I’m feeling fantastic, and everybody is very optimistic about it.

“Just a whole lot of lower body exercises, just getting after it every single day. We do a lot every single day. I’m here every day and putting in that work, because it’s worth it.”

His rehab has come together quickly, as he predicted on social media back in December. He plays to be back well before the beginning of fall camp.

“I’ve already communicated it with Coach Whitt, but June 1st is when they’re expecting me to be full-go, being able to participate in all the team activities. It’ll be really soon,” the Michigan defender said.

Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum recently returned earlier than expected from an Achilles injury — less than a year after going down — showing what’s possible.

“It’s great to see guys go out there and overcome injuries,” Daley said. “Definitely with this injury, looking at what other guys have been able to do coming back. I definitely take some inspiration from that.”

Daley explained why he decided to come with Whittingham and much of the former Utah coaching staff to Michigan.

“You know what you get with Coach Whittingham,” he noted. “You know that you get discipline and hard work. And we expect to win games, and that’s what I love. He’s got a very old school mindset, and we’re going to come in, attack every single day and be tough. It’s not always going to be easy, but it’s going to be worth it. That’s something that I love that you don’t find everywhere, and that’s something that I wanted to be a part of.”

So far, Daley has had a positive experience in Ann Arbor.

“I’m loving it in Ann Arbor,” the Michigan defender said. “It’s great. The winter was a little cold, I’m not going to lie. It gets a little cold in Utah, but not quite this cold. But in general, it’s been fantastic. The facilities here are amazing, and I’m loving getting to know my new teammates and meeting all of the different personalities on the team. It’s been a great experience so far.”