Sherrone Moore, Wink Martindale rave about LB Jaishawn Barham: 'He is a physical specimen'

Trent Knoop | Aug 27, 2024

Jaishawn Barham / Jaishawn Barham X Account

After losing both Junior Colson and Michael Barrett off of the 2023 national championship roster, the Wolverines were tasked to replace both of their starting linebackers for the 2024 campaign. Michigan already had Ernest Hausmann on its roster -- the third-leading tackler on the team a year ago -- but the Wolverines needed to find that big-time player to place beside the former Nebraska transfer.

Michigan went out and landed a big fish from the portal. Jaishawn Barham played two seasons at Maryland before transferring to Michigan this past spring. Barham, a former freshman All-American, starred with the Terps during his first two seasons.

Speaking on the Inside Michigan Football radio show on Monday evening, head coach Sherrone Moore had some great things to say about his new starting linebacker. Moore called the 6-foot-3, 248-pound linebacker a physical specimen and echoed what captain Max Bredeson had to say about Barham.

"He is a physical specimen in all types of ways," Moore said. "Not just the way he is, and he's super quiet, and that's what kind of makes him a little bit more mysterious and scary. He's the only guy that Max Bredesen said 'That's the hardest hit I've ever taken', and Max Bredesen likes to hit, but Max said that dude is like a wall, and this guy is physical, he's strong, he's fast, he can play in coverage. He can play on the edge, he can play in the middle, he just brings everything, and he's just, he's such a great kid, such a great human being."

Sep 10, 2022; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Maryland Terrapins linebacker Jaishawn Barham (1) during the second half against the Charlotte 49ers at Jerry Richardson Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports / Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports

First-year defensive coordinator Wink Martindale has coached some great players during his time in the NFL. He had the pleasure of coaching one of the greatest linebackers to play the game in Ray Lewis. Martindale knows what it takes for a player to become a great, and the former Ravens' defensive coordinator says Barham is just scratching the surface of what he can become.

Barham is one the hardest tacklers you'll see. Martindale praised the player Barham is striving to become and with his built and length, he could become an unstoppable force for the Michigan defense.

"Jaishawn is a guy that we're just scratching the surface on how good he can be," Martindale said of Barham. "He's different. You'll see when he hits people, they go backwards. And the more that he gets and stays within the system, and like I was explaining to him during training camp that when you get into games, it's easier because you're paring down your call sheet. You don't have the whole package in. You're using what's best, what you think's best, what we think's best for each game. So that'll help him play faster, but he's going to be a problem.

"He's built different too. Yeah, that's one of the widest backs I've ever seen on a linebacker. But he has the perfect temperament if you're drawing a linebacker up of what you're looking for. He's got great length. He can rush the passer. He's a good blitzer and he's a really good tackler. And he has that natural, and I know you've seen in the times that you've played too, that there's those certain guys that have that snap to them."

Martindale said Michigan is leaning toward giving Hausmann the green dot on defense -- the speaker in the helmet that coaches can communicate plays with. But past Hausmann and Barham, the cupboard isn't bare for the Wolverines' linebackers.

As long as he can stay healthy, which has been a challenge, Jimmy Rolder is expected ro seize that third linebacker role. Rolder played a ton as a true freshman for Michigan, but injuries derailed his 2023 season. Martindale also spoke about Jaydon Hood, who is a fierce, downhill linebacker. While he didn't mention freshman Cole Sullivan, he's expected to have some sort of role as well.

"Jimmy Rolder, if he can stay healthy, which how many times you've heard that," Martindale began. "If he can stay healthy, I mean, he's had a really good camp and he's been out there and he's got banged up a couple times, not just little minor things, but the more he practices, the more you see him, you're going, 'Oh, okay, that's what it's supposed to look like'.

"And really the fourth guy, and everybody else is just trying to get reps besides him. The fourth guy would be Jay [Jaydon] Hood. He's a physical downhill linebacker. If you were playing the old six, two gap stack monster and there's two backs in the backfield and, you know, nine on seven, you'd send him out there every time because he's a violent in-the-box type linebacker.

You can see the Michigan linebackers in action on Saturday night at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBC.

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