Less than a month after the start of Michigan’s winter semester, the Wolverines formally announced the arrival of two transfers on campus on Thursday morning. Josh Priebe, an offensive lineman from Northwestern, and Jaishawn Barham, a transfer linebacker from Maryland, are expected to battle and maybe earn starting positions for the maize and blue in spring.
Michigan coach Sherrone Moore stated in a press release, “We are excited to add a pair of competitors to our programme.” “Both have played a significant role in their respective Big Ten teams and have a wealth of game experience. We are eager to see what they can add to our squad during spring workouts and are ready for them to put in the work this winter.”
The two together have 52 career starts, which will be helpful to the Wolverines as they look to replace the 17 starters from 2023 who left to join the NFL.
Priebe, who is 6-foot-5 and 310 pounds according to Michigan, was an offensive guard for Northwestern from 2020 to 2021, starting 29 of those games. Priebe was a captain for the Wildcats the previous fall and was named an honourable mention All-Big Ten player. The native of Niles, Michigan, has made 29 career starts, which is more than the Wolverines’ remaining offensive lineman combined (25). Myles Hinton, a transfer from Stanford after three seasons, is the only other lineman with four or more career starts.
Priebe is anticipated to battle this spring with Amir Herring, Raheem Anderson, Giovanni El-Hadi, and Dominick Giudice, among others. From its 2023 lineup, which saw 4,200 offensive snaps collectively last autumn, Michigan lost six offensive lineman; conversely, its returning linemen saw 624 offensive snaps combined last season.
For what it’s worth, according to our projected depth chart, Priebe—a former top-500 prospect in the 2020 class and the No. 9 interior offensive lineman in 247Sports’ 2024 transfer portal rankings—should start at right guard.
Although the identity of Michigan’s defensive coordinator and linebacker coach are still unknown, Barham is also expected to start for the Wolverines in 2024 according to our defensive depth chart. Barham, a rising junior who started two seasons for Maryland, finished his first two collegiate seasons with 95 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss, seven sacks, 36 run stops, and 41 pressures. College Football News named him a freshman All-American in 2022, and he received honourable mention status in the Big Ten twice.
He is the Maryland team’s best player. In December, Barham’s high school classmate Blake Corum, a former running back for Michigan, stated, “He’s a dog.” “Here at Michigan, I anticipate him making huge plays. Excellent pickup for us. I’m happy he came. He will do great things in the blue and maize.
Barham, who is listed by Michigan as 6-foot and 230 pounds, is anticipated to start at linebacker next to Ernest Hausmann, who joined the team from Nebraska and finished the previous season with 46 tackles as a high-usage backup linebacker. Along with veteran mainstays Will Johnson, Rod Moore, Makari Paige, Mason Graham, and Kenneth Grant, he will join a defence loaded of young potential, including Hausmann, Josaiah Stewart, Derrick Moore, Rayshaun Benny, and Keon Sabb.
