Transferring from the Big 12 to the premier conference in football is quite the leap for some. It can reveal a man's will or fortitude to be the best in the conference. In the era of the portal at Michigan football, we haven't seen a player of John Henry Daley's caliber on the defensive side of the football. He is shaping up to be the most highly-anticipated transfer defender to ever strap on the winged helmet.
Henry Daley may already be the Big Ten's best defender
Within the rest of the Big Ten, Oregon has a couple of players who can match his talent and are in a better projected position to be drafted as the season gets closer. Ohio State will predictably have a star or two that rivals Henry Daley, even though the Buckeyes lost seven starters to the pros. While at Indiana, Bryant Haines will continue to develop some standouts who should also be considered for the honor.
Diving further into the Big Ten defensive numbers from last season spotlights players like Robert Fitzgerald from Northwestern and Minnesota's Anthony Smith. Fitzgerald is the Big Ten's leading returner in tackles. Henry Daley could have had the most sacks in both the Big 12 and Big Ten in back-to-back years if he hadn't missed the tail end of last season.
Utah's single-season sack record was in jeopardy of also being broken by Henry Daley had he not got that debilitating injury. Nate Orchard set the milestone over a decade ago under Kyle Whittingham. In fact, a lot of Whittingham's protégés are at or near the top of Utah's sack list. Hunter Dimick set the record for most sacks in a game. That bodes well for Michigan football next season.
At Michigan, the bar is set higher because of the conference and guys like Aidan Hutchinson and Mark Messner. Henry Daley can realistically break some of those records if he can stay healthy and catch some breaks. To further my point, he'll be on the preseason watch lists for awards like the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year, and others.
If Henry Daley can meet that hype, it will be a great thing for Michigan.
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