A player from the Big Ten is staying within the conference, as former Maryland linebacker Jaishawn Barham has committed to the Michigan Wolverines out of the transfer portal.
Barham paid an official visit to Michigan on December 11 and also hosted a visit by Michigan coaches in his hometown of Baltimore on December 6, as originally reported by Steve Lorenz ($) of The Michigan Insider.
For the past two seasons, Barham (6-foot-4, 233 pounds) has been an integral part of Maryland’s defense. He recorded 58 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, four sacks, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, and one pass deflection in 2022 as a true freshman. He received honorable mention and freshman All-American status for his accomplishments.
His stats have somewhat decreased this season, with 37 tackles, three sacks, one interception (off J.J. McCarthy), and one pass deflection.
Coming out of St. Frances Academy in Baltimore as a high school recruit, Barham was ranked as four-star as the No. 130 overall prospect in the 2022 class, according to 247Sports’ composite. He originally committed to South Carolina, but flipped to Maryland right before signing his letter of intent. He also had other offers from Penn State, Oklahoma, Florida, Florida State, Nebraska, Notre Dame, USC, Ohio State and more.
Michigan was in need of another linebacker heading into the offseason. With Michael Barrett out of eligibility and Junior Colson potentially leaving for the NFL, the Wolverines now have help at the position, regardless of Colson’s decision. Barham, who has played middle linebacker for Maryland, will pair up with Ernest Hausmann, Jimmy Rolder and others at the position for next season.
The first commitment out of the transfer portal for the Wolverines in this transfer window, Barham will have two years of collegiate eligibility remaining.
According to 247Sports’ transfer portal rankings, Barham is the No. 152 overall player and the No. 10 linebacker in the portal.
