Michigan Transfer Named One Of The Top 10 Returning Players In 2024
![Michigan running back Blake Corum's helmet sits on the turf during warmups before the Ohio State game at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor on Saturday, Nov. 25, 2023. Michigan running back Blake Corum's helmet sits on the turf during warmups before the Ohio State game at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor on Saturday, Nov. 25, 2023.](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_2400,h_1350,x_0,y_102/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/wolverine_digest/01j2etq6sx71snehgzgv.jpg)
Once again, the Michigan Wolverines did a phenomenal job in supplementing the roster via the transfer portal during the off-season. Offensively, Michigan landed Northwestern transfer Josh Priebe, a guard who was a team captain with the Wildcats in during the 2023 season. The Wolverines also added a pair of wideouts with Amorion Walker (Ole Miss) and CJ Charleston (Youngstown State).
On the defensive side of the ball, Michigan added five transfers who are all expected to play a significant role this fall. That defensive group is headlined by former Maryland linebacker, Jaishawn Barham. The 6-4, 235 pound linebacker was one of the top defensive players for the Terrapins last season, finishing as an All-Big Ten honorable mention as a sophomore. Ironically enough, Barham nabbed his first career interception against Michigan in 2023 during the Week 11 matchup in College Park.
Barham, who's expected to be a starter this fall, is joined by another former transfer who joined the Wolverines heading into the 2023 season - Ernest Hausmann. Between Barham and Hausmann, the loss of veterans Junior Colson and Michael Barrett to the NFL shouldn't be all that painful. In fact, it's a realistic possibility that the tandem of Hausmann and Barham is actually an improvement in 2024.
PFF College recently put together a list of the top 10 returning linebackers in all of college football this season, and Barham came in at No. 5 overall. Here's what PFF had to say about the Michigan transfer:
1. Harold Perkins, LSU
— PFF College (@PFF_College) July 7, 2024
10. Jeffrey Bassa, Oregon
PFF’s Top 10 Linebackers in College Football⬇️https://t.co/kuA6CchIDQ
5. JAISHAWN BARHAM, MICHIGAN
Barham broke onto the scene as a true freshman in 2022, placing fifth among Power Five linebackers with an 83.1 PFF coverage grade. He finished the season as the seventh-most valuable linebacker in the country according to PFF’s wins above-average metric. Barham was limited by injuries as a sophomore and posted just a 44.7 PFF coverage grade this past season. He’ll try to rebound at a new home in 2024, as he transferred from Maryland to Michigan in December.
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