Name: John Henry Daley
Height: 6’5″
Weight: 252 lbs.
High school: Alpine (UT) Lone Peak
Position: Defensive end
Class: Redshirt junior
Jersey number: #90
Last year: Daley played for Utah. He made 48 tackles, 17.5 tackles for loss, 11.5 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, and 1 pass breakup.
TTB Rating: N/A
John Henry Daley was a star last season. Football fans around the country were probably at least aware of the name because of the numbers he was racking up, finishing tied for #5 in the country in tackles for loss (1.59 for #3 on a per game basis) and #7 in sacks per game (1.05 for #2 on a per game basis). He was a wrecking ball coming off the edge for the Utes, hustling his way to outstanding numbers.
So, Thunder, why did you rank him at #7 in the countdown instead of in your top two?
Well, there's a pesky thing in the back of your leg called an Achilles tendon, and Daley injured it last season. That's why he only played in eleven games and why he didn't participate in spring football. Head coach Kyle Whittingham insists Daley is back to full strength and even might be quicker and more explosive than he was prior to his injury, but historically, it seems like Achilles injuries are difficult to come back from in such a short time while retaining every bit of burst. So along with a tougher opponent schedule, Daley is going to be building back trust in his lower body.
I think Daley will be good. I hope he will be as good as he was at Utah. But I have my doubts. Michigan also has an array of other pass rushers to throw at other teams, so perhaps even if Daley struggles to return to form, Michigan will have guys they can put in to get the job done. Perhaps nobody else is an All-America level talent this season like Daley, but the coaching staff seems pretty confident in the defensive end group.
Prediction: Starting defensive end; 45 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, 7 sacks
In Whittingham's WMU press conference, he said Daley was "100%," and said he was even more explosive off the edge than before. Whittingham doesn’t strike me as using false hyperbole, so perhaps there's reason for hope.
ReplyDeleteI know the OU game is the first big test, but the WMU game will show us a lot. Whittingham said what he wants to see is "clean execution" -- no false starts, no dumb penalties, good tackling -- and I think if they come out clean like that, it bodes well.
I have doubts about JHD (and Rod’s) heath, just as I doubt the optimism about our DL
DeleteProve me wrong Whitt!
I'm at least as worried about his transition to a higher level of competition as I am with the injury. People talk about Power 4 or 5 but I think SEC and B1G are on another level. And Michigan specifically is playing a loaded schedule where JHD is going to face a bunch of future NFL OTs. He got that in practice last year at Utah, so perhaps this worry is overheated, but I dunno how much he saw it in games. So I would be pleasantly shocked if he matches that level of production.
ReplyDeleteThunder's targets seem like reasonable expectations to me. Hopefully he is there. It's at least a little encouraging that Whitt is saying he is back and healthy (in contrast with Rod Moore still feeling effects of his injuries).
DeleteThe change in competition is a legitimate concern, but not my main one
DeletePlayers transfer up and even go from G5 (or FCS) to the NFL all the time, sustaining their performance. At MICHIGAN, Wallace, Stewart, Danna come to mind
If they’re really good, they’re usually really good, and right away
This is true but with lower levels people openly wonder about. Wallace and Stewart and Danna were not seen as plug-and-play sure fire starters. They were seen as gap filling options who MIGHT be able to take the step up in competition but if they can't no one would be all that surprised. Like sometimes those guys fail to make an impact -- like Hattar and Caleb Anderson just last year. Everyone kinda shrugs and says "level of competition -- not a real surprise was it?"
DeleteWith JHD it is rarely brought up. There is a general assumption that because he played in a "power" conference this is a non-issue. I would say it's more like AAA compared to MLB. Easier than going from A or AA to the big show but a leap nonetheless. And with that comes uncertainty.
*To be clear the uncertainty is limited to the top end of production. JHD's floor is high, even at the Big 10 level. I just wonder if he can get back to all American production even if he is fully healthy, because the schedule is way harder.
Josiah Stewart: two time all conference (sunbelt) and FR all American. At MICHIGAN, two time all conference and team captain
DeleteJosh Wallace: all conference (independent) and team captain. At MICHIGAN, all conference and drafted
Mike Danna: PFF accolades for the season (CMU). At MICHIGAN, PFF accolades for a game, plus DPLOW three times
Again: if they were really good, they’re usually pretty good here too
*Caleb Anderson was nothing special at Louisiana, or at MICHIGAN
*Hattar was all American at Ferris, but that’s Division II, a few rungs down from lowly P4 programs