Height: 6’1”

Weight: 260 pounds

Hometown: Winchester, VA

Class/Position: Senior/EDGE

Defensive line coach Pat Kuntz and defensive coordinator Bryant Haines were tasked with strengthening the depth of the defensive line during the spring transfer portal window. The pair zeroed in on a familiar face as one of the solutions and got a commitment from Kent State transfer Stephen Daley. Daley hails from Winchester, Virginia and the staff recruited him in high school when they were at James Madison and he was a two-star tight end prospect. Much has changed in those few years but the relationship was still there and Daley will line up on the edge for the Hoosiers for his final collegiate season.

Stephen Daley played three seasons for the Kent State Golden Flashes and appeared in 34 career games with 103 tackles, 15.5 tackles for loss and six sacks. The 2024 campaign was, by far, his most impressive as he racked up 51 tackles, nine TFLs and four sacks as a starter for the Golden Flashes. Of course, IU fans have happy thoughts about Kent State defensive linemen transferring to IU after the fantastic season put forth by CJ West (now of the San Francisco 49ers). The comparison is understandable but West and Daley are definitely different players. West was an interior lineman while Stephen Daley is likely to play exclusively on the outside of the line. He is a productive and veteran player that replaces spots vacated by outgoing transfer Ta’Derius Collins and joins with fellow newcomer Kellan Wyatt (Maryland) to give Indiana some quickness on the edge as partners to returning All-Big Ten lineman Mikail Kamara. Daley was Kent State’s top-rated defender on Pro Football Focus with a grade of 81 and he figures to rotate with Wyatt and returnee Mario Landino on one side while Mikail Kamara primarily mans the other side in the “Stud” position vacated by the departure of Lanell Carr.

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