The Michigan Wolverines will take the field this weekend against the Fresno State Bulldogs in their season opener at 7:30 p.m. ET, a chance for the new-look Wolverines to show what they’re capable of on the football field.
One of Michigan’s new additions is linebacker Jaishawn Barham, who drew sharp praise from Michigan Coach Sherrone Moore and Defensive Coordinator Wink Martindale recently.
Moore hinted that Wolverines fullback Max Bredeson was surprised at the physicality the Maryland transfer brought to the practice field.
“He is a physical specimen in all types of ways,” Moore said about Barham. “Not just the way he is, and he’s super quiet,
“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 makes him a little bit more mysterious and scary.
“He’s the only guy that Max Bredeson 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.”
According to Michigan coaches, returning linebacker Ernest Hausmann will likely receive the Wolverines’ “green dot” at linebacker indicating the player with radio communication to the sideline’s coaching staff.
Hausmann said that Barham “fits right in” with the Wolverines’ defensive scheme, a sign that he could be in line for a big season.
Martindale also extolled Barham’s talents, saying that he has the exact physical traits he’s looking for in a linebacker.
“Jaishawn is a guy that we’re just scratching the surface of how good he can be,” Martindale said.
“He’s different. You’ll see when he hits people, they go backwards. And the more 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, and what we think’s best for each game. So that’ll help him play faster, but he’s going to be a problem.”
Barham has 96 tackles, seven sacks, one forced fumble and one interception in two seasons so far during his college football career, but it’s easy to get the feeling that Michigan coaches expect a much bigger year from him in Ann Arbor.