The newly appointed head coaches tend to rely on their former programs to build their rosters. James Franklin did the same (to an extent) at Virginia Tech. Now, Kyle Whittingham is doing it with Michigan by targeting former Utah defensive standouts, with ex-Ute EDGE John Henry Daley emerging as a top priority.

“I think with bringing in a new staff, bringing in a new DC, Jay Hill, who was announced from BYU,” Michigan insider EJ Holland said on the January 3 episode of the Rivals. “They’re going to target some guys that he was familiar with. John Henry Daley, a defensive end at Utah, hit the portal. He’s probably the biggest known target as of today for Michigan. So he’ll definitely be one to watch.”

Daley stands out as one of the most talented defensive players in the transfer portal, with two years of eligibility remaining. The CBS Sports second-team All-American feels like a natural fit for Michigan. His 2025 season ended earlier than expected after a non-contact injury in the second-to-last regular-season game sidelined him for the rest of the year.

The lower-leg issue cut short his dominant breakout campaign. Daley was significantly leading the nation in tackles for loss at the time. Before going down, Daley racked up 17.5 tackles for loss through 11 games. It’s the most in CFB and also added 11.5 sacks, which ranked second nationally. Both numbers were career highs for a player who hadn’t even made a single career start entering the season.

He also made history at Utah. Daley became the first Ute since 2017 to record strip-sacks in back-to-back games and finished the year fifth all-time in program history with 91 sack yards. That kind of rise has firmly placed Daley on the NFL Draft radar. If he stays healthy and lands in the right defensive system, he has the potential to take another big leap next season. Daley also shared in his transfer announcement that he expects to be fully healthy by spring.

“The experiences I’ve had here will last a lifetime,” Daley said. “Who I consider to be my family have grown significantly, and I will always cherish those relationships. This rehab has given me time to pray and reflect on my future. I will be entering the transfer portal fully healthy by the spring of 2026 with two years of eligibility remaining. I’ll always love Utah. Go Utes!”

But it won’t be all different for John Henry Daley, as Whittingham is also bringing in Utah’s EDGE coach, Lewis Powell, to the team as defensive line coach.

A lot of familiar faces at Ann Arbor. 

Lewis Powell’s hiring marks Whittingham’s seventh staff addition. At Utah since shifting to defensive line coach in 2016, Powell has developed eight pro players, including six draft picks. And also two consensus All-Americans (Bradlee Anae in 2019, Jonah Elliss in 2023) and seven first-team All-Conference selections. His units excelled statistically.

Utah dominated the Pac-12 in rushing defense five times and ranked in the FBS top 20 for its final six seasons, hitting the top five nationally three times. Michigan’s defensive line has been sputtering with a lot of flaws. It got exposed in games like the USC matchup, where it failed to pressure QB Jayden Maiava, allowing easy passing and exposed rushing attacks. Previous coach Louis Esposito shifts to interior linemen. That in turn frees Powell to target EDGE development and build depth for 2026 contention.

This addresses the inconsistency that plagued Moore’s tenure. The 66-year-old views Michigan as a “top-five job” with unmatched NIL resources, including Dave Portnoy’s money and power, that Utah lacked. “I still got plenty of juice left in the tank,” he told ESPN. He emphasized immediate infrastructure to compete nationally post-Harbaugh and Moore scandals. This move completes a Utah-heavy staff overhaul, signaling Whittingham’s intent to restore stability.

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