Michigan Wolverines news: John Henry Daley's Big Ten recognition, early Trey McKenney hype, and more

Fall sports are truly in full swing around the country, and Michigan is looking good all the way around. Of course, the football team is taking up a lot of the attention, but there is also volleyball and soccer working on the field and court as well.

So, here is a little midweek news roundup of some news you may have missed, not just from football, but all around Michigan athletics.

John Henry Daley wins Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week after breakout game vs. OU

John Henry Daley was a huge transfer for Michigan when Kyle Whittingham came to Ann Arbor. Even though he was dealing with the achilles injury that he suffered in Utah's second-to-last regular-season game last season, Daley brought a lot of upside to an already great Michigan defense.

With a lot of hype coming out of fall camp, it was expected that Daley would make a lot of noise for the Wolverines early, but he was kind of nowhere to be found against Western Michigan. Some of that could be related to coming back from the injury, but he certainly showed up against Oklahoma.

Daley finished the day with eight total tackles, four solo tackles, 1.5 sacks, and three tackles for a loss, and it was enough to earn Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week honors.

Jon Rothstein could see Trey McKenney winning Big Ten Player of the Year this season

College basketball season will be here in just a few short months, and the Michigan Wolverines are the ones defending their title this season. Already, the Wolverines have been dealt a tough hand, losing their entire frontcourt to the NBA, as well as their head coach, and recently losing five-star freshman Brandon McCoy Jr. to an ACL injury.

Not all hope is lost, though, when it comes to a title defense because before Dusty May left, he built a strong team that stuck around with new head coach Mike Boynton. That team is led by one key returner, Trey McKenney, whose role with Michigan grew as his freshman season went on, and college basketball analyst Jon Rothstein believes he could make a massive jump this season.

"I believe Trey McKenney will be a Big Ten Player of the Year candidate in 2026-27," Rothstein said.

McKenney certainly showed a lot in the Wolverines' run in March Madness last season, especially when he was the main rotating man for Michigan when Yaxel Lendeborg was hurt in the Final Four. In six NCAA Tournament games, McKenney averaged 12 points per game and shot 48% from three. The combo of McKenney and Elliot Cadeau could be a problem for opposing teams next season.

Michigan volleyball heads into final non-conference games before long Big Ten slate

The Wolverines have been strong on the court this season, losing just two of their eight games so far. Their only losses have come at the hands of South Carolina, who took Michigan to five sets, and No. 11 TCU, who the Wolverines stole a set from to avoid the sweep.

Now, the volleyball team will head into their final non-conference games against Eastern Michigan and two games against Cornell to close out non-conference play before heading into what will be a long Big Ten slate. If Michigan can win their next three, they will head into conference play with a strong 9-2 record.

Michigan women's soccer gearing up for massive match vs. No. 1 Michigan State

The Michigan women's soccer team has had its struggles this season, going 3-1-3 so far this season, dropping their Big Ten opener to Northwestern, but bouncing back against Illinois for a 2-0 shutout.

After being on the road for the last two matches, the Wolverines will hit the road again for not just a massive rivalry matchup against Michigan State, but are tasked with trying to take down the No. 1 team in the country. Leading scorer Adi Walick may be called upon again in this match if Michigan is able to get a penalty in the box, after being a perfect 3-for-3 on penalty shots so far this season.

Game time is set for 1:00 p.m. on Sunday, February 20.

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