When the Michigan Wolverines hired Kyle Whittingham, he didn’t come alone. The HC brought five players, including one injured defensive end, from the Utah Utes to Ann Arbor. Now, doctors have given injury updates on him, with an expected return date already set.

“EDGE John Henry Daley still expected to be full-go before the targeted goal of June 1st and be completely ready when fall camp rolls around,” The Michigan Insider’s Brice Marich reported on X with a video of Daley putting in some rehab work. “He also has been projected in several Way-Too-Early 2027 NFL Mock Drafts as well.”

John Henry Daley missed the entire spring practice because he ruptured his Achilles tendon during the Utes vs. Kansas State Wildcats home game on November 22. Before the injury, the redshirt sophomore was enjoying his best season in college football so far as an All-American.

In Whittingham’s last season with the Utes, Daley was a key part of a side that ended the season with a 10-2 regular season record. He led the nation in tackles-for-loss (TFL) with 17.5 and tied for No. 2 in sacks with 11.5. On the team, Daley ranked third in total tackles with 48 and was the only player from the Utes to force multiple fumbles in their first 11 games. He was also a Chuck Bednarik Award semifinalist and quarterfinalist for the Lott IMPACT Trophy.

Daley’s breakout season came after he transferred to the Utes. He began his college career at BYU after spending two years on a Mormon mission. Daley had a limited 2023, starting only three games and recording three tackles. After joining the Utes, he played in seven games, recording four tackles and a sack before his brilliant 2025 season.

Analysts heavily project him as a top pick in several mock drafts of the 2027 NFL Draft. Even though the spring game limited him, scouts tipped the defensive end to become the best in college football.

“..the underlying numbers reinforce his prowess rushing the quarterback. He was fourth with an edge pressure rate of 19.6%, and his average time to first pressure was 2.65 seconds, just a tick behind Miami star defensive end Rueben Bain Jr. (2.63), who was the 15th pick in last month’s NFL draft,” Jake Trotter of ESPN wrote.

“If Daley continues putting up big numbers at his new school, he could become Michigan’s first Hendricks Award winner since Aidan Hutchinson in 2021.”

The six-foot-four, 255-pounder is arguably the best player who joined Whittingham from the Utes. And he was accompanied by cornerback Smith Snowden, tight end/wide receiver J.J. Buchanan, defensive tackle Jonah Lea’ea, and receiver/safety Salesi Moa.

John Henry Daley earlier shunned Michigan move

Daley’s transfer would have surprised those who believed him when he claimed he was going nowhere after his injury. On December 29, he dismissed an X post claiming he had joined Kyle Whittingham in Michigan.

“I’ve been hearing this everywhere,” Daley wrote in a post to X in response to a now-deleted post. “I will not be out for this next season… I’ll be back in 6 months.”

He wrote a comment under a post from a Michigan fan account, featuring a video highlight of Daley with the text “Michigan NEEDS to be after Utah DE John Henry-Daley,” as he “would be a MASSIVE get for Michigan.”

However, less than two weeks after his post against the move, Daley entered the transfer portal and left Utah for Michigan. His choice did not come without competition, as the LSU Tigers, Notre Dame, and BYU Cougars—where his father and three uncles played—were all in the mix.