It's not hyperbole to say that Michigan football might have landed the best pass rusher in the transfer portal.
Michigan desperately needed a big-time pass rusher with Derrick Moore out of eligibility. There was a strong hope that the Wolverines would be able to land John Henry Daley, the former Utah EDGE listed as one of the best players in the portal (No. 4 via On3), and after visiting on Thursday, the dynamic pass rusher canceled his visit to Notre Dame and committed to Michigan.
Michigan football lands elite EDGE from Utah
After a redshirt season in 2023, with a few games played, Henry-Daley played in seven games in 2024 with a sack, before taking off for 11.5 sacks, to go along with 17.5 tackles for loss in 2025, plus two forced fumbles, and 24 solo tackles.
Massive pickup here for Michigan, landing elite transfer EDGE John Henry Daley
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) January 9, 2026
This season he totaled 48 tackles, 11.5 sacks, and 2 forced fumbles
He’s the No. 4 player in the On3 Portal Rankings https://t.co/qIq0AidDkw
Henry-Daley entered the portal soon after Kyle Whittingham was announced as the Michigan football head coach, but his commitment wasn't a foregone conclusion. The hiring Lewis Powell, the Utah EDGE coach from last season, worked in Michigan's favor.
It feels like the program was aggressive with NIL, too. Fans were frustrated with the way things were going in terms of the transfer portal, but after some key players were retained, Michigan football has been doing work in the portal.
Not only have the Wolverines locked down a kicker, a punter, and a new long-snapper, shoring up some special teams issues, they also landed the No. 11 running back in Taylor Tatum, a former Oklahoma running back.
Elite pass catcher JJ Buchanan is also on campus today, along with Rasheem Biles, an All-ACC linebacker. There are rumors that Michigan is a serious contender for former Ohio State receiver Quincy Porter, too, so this could just be the start.