John Henry Daley is expected to be one of the best transfers on Michigan’s roster this season, as long as he’s healthy. Daley finished his junior season with 48 tackles, 17.5 tackles for loss, 11.5 sacks, two forced fumbles and a pass breakup. Now, he’s bringing his All-American talents to Ann Arbor.
This week, Daley joined Jon Jansen on the latest installment of the In the Trenches podcast. Here’s a summary of what he had to say:
On his journey to playing at Michigan
Jansen asked Daley about his seasons away from football while on a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Daley spent his mission trip in Brazil and loved his experience there. He said coming back to football after two years without working out was challenging and that he had to commit to getting back in shape.
On the changing landscape of college football
Daley is one of the many players navigating the world of the transfer portal and NIL deals. Jansen asked him to share advice with juniors and seniors in high school, and Daley said while it’s tempting to only focus on the money, it’s important to look at the full picture. He brought up choosing a coach who believes in his team and making sure the coach will hold them to a high standard.
On HC Kyle Whittingham
“Coach Whitt’s everything you look for in a head coach,” said Daley. He also spoke about the tough practices they’re going through this camp and the toughness Whittingham brings to the table. For Daley, while it’s tiring in the moment, he knows he’s going to appreciate the work he has put in.
On his road to recovery
Daley said he leaned on his faith while recovering from his season-ending Achilles injury from last year. For him, his faith allowed him to deal with the setback in a mentally healthy way; instead of focusing on the negative, he took time to focus on everything he was thankful for.
On the “pitch count” his coaching staff sticks to
The coaches are making sure they focus on the number of snaps Daley is on the field for during fall camp, but they recognize he’s a very competitive player. While it’s tough to not be on the field for every play, Daley is aware there’s a reason and it’s smart to pace himself.
On his first time running onto the field at Michigan
“I know it’s going to be incredible,” Daley said. He also said it’s tough to imagine how many people will be watching the game at one time, but he’s very excited about it.
On his goals for the season
Overall, Daley said he wants to be better than he was last season. He is trying to make sure he’s a dynamic and aggressive player during the season. Ultimately, he wants to cause some problems for other teams.
On the defensive line and the defense
Daley sees the defensive line as a group of guys who can disrupt plays for the opposing offense. When it comes to the rest of the defense, he said the team is really getting comfortable with defensive coordinator Jay Hill’s system, even if have been some learning curves. One thing he mentioned was guys playing with their instincts and feeding off each other to make plays.
The Wolverines have guys at every level of the defense familiar with the scheme the Wolverines will be running. Daley said that helps them have conversations about making adjustments and getting into the right position.
On what needs to happen for the defense to be ready
Daley said the next few weeks are about getting into better “football” shape and continuing to build to the first game of the season. He talked about the practices ramping up and not having to do everything all at once. He said right now, they’re focusing on getting the techniques and the small things right so they all come together at the start of the season.
On the enthusiasm when camp starts and maintaining energy
When he hits a low in fall camp, Daley tries to focus on how everyone on the team is going through it together. When it seems easy to let off the gas, he focuses on putting in the work so he doesn’t let his team down or himself down. Daley knows he is still going to have to put in the work whether he has a good or bad attitude, so he might as well stay positive and bring that energy to camp.
On the players he chooses to study
Daley said he watches other players a lot. In high school, he’d watch videos of Von Miller before his games to get hyped up because Miller would do some crazy moves. Now, he’s watching college tape of some of the players. Daley also said he watched Aidan Hutchinson’s “three sacks against Ohio State,” which felt like a nice nod to fans that he’s familiar with some of the greats who have walked through the program.