It’s not often one of your best players is a true freshman, but that’s been the case for Maryland’s defense this year. Linebacker Jaishawn Barham has been one of the Terps’ most consistent standouts, and on Thursday he was announced as one of 14 semifinalists for the Shaun Alexander National Freshman of the Year Award.
Via Maryland football’s press release:
Barham, who has started all seven games he’s played as a true freshman in 2022, is currently tied for the team lead in sacks (3) and ranks second on the squad with 4.5 tackles for loss. He is currently the Power Five’s highest-graded true freshman defender via Pro Football Focus (76.9). The former four-star recruit has forced an incompletion on 18.2% of his targets this season, tied for the sixth-highest rate among Power Five linebackers. His three sacks are tied for the eighth-most for Power Five linebackers.
A District Heights, Maryland native, Barham is averaging 5.0 tackles per game, the most by any freshman in the Big Ten and the seventh most by any freshman in the FBS. The linebacker was named Big Ten Freshman of the Week on October 10 after recording two sacks, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery against Purdue. Barham also posted a season-high 12 tackles in a win over SMU and led the Terps with eight tackles in a narrow loss at Michigan.
“Jaishawn [Barham] is like a robot,” coach Mike Locksley said earlier this season. “He doesn’t get overly excited or overly low. He’s just pretty consistent. Almost to where it’s funny because you’re talking to him and you get just a deadpan look. So I think what that does is leads him to where there’s nothing too big for him. When you come in as a freshman, you’re planning against some of the top teams in the country that we get to face as a Big Ten member, the lights aren’t too big, he doesn’t get overly excited. Nothing kind of pushes his buttons. He just really, really consistent with his habits and behaviors. How he prepares. How he plays and it shows in terms of this production he’s had as a young player.”
Finalists will be announced on Dec. 6 and the winner will be named on Dec. 29. The formal presentation of the award will be made at the Maxwell Football Club Awards Gala in March of 2023.
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The award is in its fifth year and has been awarded to Trevor Lawrence (Clemson, 2018), Kenneth Gainwell (Memphis, 2019), Will Anderson Jr. (Alabama, 2020) and Brock Bowers (Georgia, 2021).
This year’s field, along with Barham: Terrion Arnold (Alabama), Tetairoa McMillan (Arizona), Richard Reese (Baylor), Malaki Starks (Georgia), Gabe Jacas (Illinois), Deone Walker (Kentucky), Harold Perkins Jr. (LSU), Will Campbell (LSU), Drake Maye (North Carolina), Quinshon Judkins (Ole Miss), Abdul Carter (Penn State), Nick Emmanwori (South Carolina) and Kelvin Banks Jr. (Texas).
