Michigan

Jaishawn Barham, Michigan edge rusher, picked in third round by Cowboys

Published

2 months ago

April 25, 2026

Jaishawn Barham, Michigan edge rusher, picked in third round by Cowboys

Jaishawn Barham, who made the move from linebacker to edge rusher early last season, was the third Michigan player selected on Day 2 of the NFL Draft.

Barham was selected in the third round by Dallas with the 92nd overall pick on Friday night. Edge Derrick Moore was the first Michigan player taken in the draft, selected in the second round at No. 44 overall by Detroit. Tight end Marlin Klein went late in the second round at No. 59 overall to Houston. Moore, Barham and Klein were projected Day 2 selections.

By late September last season, Barham, who was nicknamed “Superman” by former interim head coach Biff Poggi and “Killa” by offensive lineman Nathan Efobi, had moved to edge.

“That’s ‘Killa’ right there, the man who doesn’t smile,” Efobi said jokingly to reporters last season. “I’ve gotten him to laugh a couple times, just by me being me. But that’s ‘Killa’ — always serious, always ready to hit somebody, always ready to kill at any moment.”

The 6-foot-3, 240-pound Barham transferred to Michigan from Maryland and played his final two seasons for the Wolverines. He finished with four sacks and was honorable mention All-Big Ten last season. Former Michigan defensive coordinator Wink Martindale was asked last season about Barham’s intimidating demeanor.

“That’s who he is. That’s his personality,” Martindale said last fall. “I think some people take him being quiet and just looking at you as being mean, and he’s just trying to figure people out just like we all do. But he hits, and those guys are unique. Once you get to know him, it’s a back and forth, it’s a trust, it’s a relationship. And he’s fun to be around. But if anything happens, I’m glad he’s on my side.”

NFL Network’s draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah said recently on a conference call with reporters that several NFL teams he spoke with liked Barham because he’s still new to the position and can be developed.

achengelis@detroitnews.com

@achengelis

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Michigan

Michigan Recruiting Intel: Quarterback updates, notes on top targets

Published

6 hours ago

June 26, 2026

Press Room

Michigan Recruiting Intel: Quarterback updates, notes on top targets

The Wolverine Football Recruiting

Ethan McDowell@ethanmmcdowell

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Jayden Wade 3 copy 1 — Jayden Wade (Photo by Chad Simmons)

Michigan is recruiting a talented group of quarterbacks for the 2028 cycle. Here’s a look at the Wolverines’ top targets.

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Michigan

Michigan president has strong words for college sports after Dusty May exit

Published

16 hours ago

June 25, 2026

Press Room

Michigan president has strong words for college sports after Dusty May exit

At the University of Michigan’s board of regents meeting on Thursday, June 25, interim president Domenico Grasso addressed the departure of former Michigan basketball coach Dusty May, calling the move a “bellwether” for college athletics.

May, who had reportedly agreed in principle to a contract extension with the Wolverines but had yet to sign it, left the program on Monday, June 22. One day later, he was in Brooklyn for the NBA Draft where his Dallas Mavericks selected his former player, Michigan forward Morez Johnson Jr., with the No. 9 overall pick.

“Our current system is in dire need of clarity and equitable reform,” Grasso said at the regents meeting. “Coach May told me that among his reasons for leaving were uncertainties and pressures involving the transfer portal and NIL support for student-athletes.

“He and I agree that the future of college sports is headed in the wrong direction.”

While Grasso did say the new “Protect College Sports Act” could provide “greater stability, clearer national standards and more consistent rules” to college athletics, he also said it has “deeply concerning provisions.”

“Rather than looking to conferences such as the Big Ten as models of athletic and academic excellence, it imposes restrictions that disproportionately affect the institution,” he said. “Among the most troubling provisions are targeted limits on conference expansion and realignment, as well as harmful restrictions on student athletes’ ability to benefit from additional NIL opportunities. These measures will reduce universities and conferences’ flexibility to adapt to changing conditions for student innovative opportunities.

“We want what’s best for the Big Ten and for Michigan. We are not going to sacrifice competitive advantage that we built for more than a century. We stand ready to work with legislators on a bill that will establish a system in which every university can compete and thrive for generations to come.”

May spent just two years in Ann Arbor but made a lasting mark on the program. He went 64-13 during his time, won the 2024-25 Big Ten Tournament championship, the 2025-26 Big Ten championship and finished his time in Ann Arbor defeating UConn, 69-63, to win the national championship on Monday, April 6.

“When my family and I came to Ann Arbor two years ago, we hoped we could help bring Michigan basketball back to where it belongs,” May said in a goodbye statement to U-M. “This wasn’t an easy decision. An opportunity came along that was right for my family and something I felt I needed to pursue, but that doesn’t change how much these last two years have meant to us.

“Thank you for trusting us, believing in us and making these last two years so much fun. It was an honor to coach at Michigan and wear the Block M.”

On Tuesday, June 23, Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel officially announced assistant basketball coach Mike Boynton Jr. would be appointed as interim head coach.

That set a clock for the transfer portal to open for U-M players on Friday, July 24, 31 days after Boynton’s appointment as interim.

Tony Garcia is the Michigan beat writer for the Detroit Free Press. Email him at apgarcia@freepress.com and follow him on X at @RealTonyGarcia.

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