ESPN Ranks New Michigan Football Transfer Commit

Last Wednesday saw the start of college football’s early signing period, with Jim Harbaugh and his Wolverines going 27 for 27 on getting their 2024 commitments to sign. On top of inking an impressive new class of future U-M stars, a new Michigan football transfer portal commit – Jaishawn Barham, a linebacker out of Maryland – announced his commitment to the Maize and Blue. On Sunday, famed sports network ESPN, which has been quite critical of Harbaugh and Michigan since news of the sign-stealing scandal first dropped, announced where they rank Harbaugh’s newest transfer.

New Michigan football transfer commit: Jaishawn Barham out of Maryland

Over the past few seasons, Jim Harbaugh and Michigan football have made it a priority to recruit from the transfer portal well in key spots. For Michigan, adding players like Olu Oluwatimi, Drake Nugent, Josaiah Stewart, AJ Barner, and so many more, has been a crucial part of winning three straight Big Ten Championships and College Football Playoff berths.

On Wednesday, another new Michigan football transfer announced his commitment to the Wolverines: Jaishawn Barham, a former three-star linebacker for the Maryland Terrapins.

Throughout Barham’s two seasons of action with Maryland football, the Big Ten linebacker transfer recorded nearly 100 tackles, seven sacks, an interception, a pair of pass deflections, and more. His massive 6-foot-4, 235+ pound frame also makes him one of the Wolverines’ biggest players in the LB room heading into next season, which is great news for Michigan, seeing as U-M could be losing players like Junior Colson and others.

Where does ESPN rank the latest portal win for Jim Harbaugh and his Wolverines?

According to ESPN, Michigan’s new transfer portal commit out of Maryland ranks as the No. 59 transfer in the nation. While it isn’t quite a top 10 ranking, it’s clear that ESPN writer Tom Vanhaaren clearly thinks quite highly of the Wolverines’ newest addition; in fact, he even labels Barham as an “explosive and productive defensive player with multiple years of eligibility left who could fit with most defenses.”

While Michigan football has seen its ups and downs in the transfer portal thus far — showing interest in a lot of top-ranked targets, yet only earning one commitment to this point — the Maize and Blue are doing just fine. On top of Jaishawn Barham, expect Jim Harbaugh and his staff to make a push for a number of other top transfers ahead of the 2024 season as Michigan looks to remain in contention for Big Ten titles, CFP appearances, and more amid he ever-growing landscape of the sport.

Thank you for reading Blue by Ninety. For more Michigan Athletics and Big Ten content from Blue by Ninety, follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. You can also subscribe to our YouTube Channel. For feedback, questions, concerns, or to apply for a writing position, please email our Publisher at [email protected]. Also, be sure to check out our shop and our podcast, which is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and all other streaming platforms. It is because of your support that we have become one of the fastest-growing and most influential Michigan media outlets there is!