Maryland linebacker Jaishawn Barham was named the defensive MVP of the Polynesian Bowl after finishing with five tackles, two tackles for loss and a pick-six, helping Team Makai top Team Mauka 17-3.
The outside linebacker was all over the field and at the center of seemingly every play, but iced the game with under eight minutes left after Barham hauled in a pass deflection and returned it 29 yards for the score. Barham primarily lined up at outside linebacker on Saturday night but told Rivals earlier in the week that he heads to College Park as “an inside and outside linebacker.”
“Rushing on third downs, getting into blitzes,” Barham added. The 6-foot-3, 230-pound linebacker fits perfectly as an outside ‘backer in blitz packages but has the quickness and instincts to flourish inside, but more importantly, his addition helps stockpile the talent in the Terps’ front seven. Barham now joins former five-star prospect Demeioun Robinson in the linebacker room with Darrell Jackson, Tommy Akingbesote, Taizse Johnson, and Andre Porter all back along the defensive line for their second year. It was part of head coach Mike Locksley’s plan to rebuild the trenches for Maryland and Barham is a key piece to the puzzle.
The Terps had to go until the final hour to secure Barham’s signature on the morning of national signing day, flipping the four-star product from South Carolina in a recruitment that sparked national headlines. “I heard some shakiness in the coaching staff, heard of coaches leaving that I seen left and went to Florida,” Barham said as reason why he backed off his pledge to the Gamecocks. Linebacker coach Mike Peterson was Barham’s lead recruiter for the Gamecocks but joined Billy Napier’s staff in Gainesville as outside linebackers coach and alumni liasion.
In Barham’s eyes, the flip to Maryland was the right decision.
“I felt like it was a good decision, well-thought decision. Sat down with my family, had to do what was best, felt what was best. The best coaching staff that I thought for me was Maryland,” he added. Head coach Mike Locksley took over Barham’s recruitment after his initial pledge to South Carolina. “[Locksley] always stayed beside me, always checked me, make sure I was good.”
Barham is now one of eight early enrollees from Maryland’s 2022 class and already moved in prior to the Polynesian Bowl, but will return to campus with the second semester beginning Monday.
Barham is rated a consensus four-star prospect by On3 and the third-best prospect in Maryland, becoming the highest-rated signee in Maryland’s class.