Maryland starting linebacker Jaishawn Barham was named one of 14 semifinalists for the Shaun Alexander National Freshman of the Year Award, the Maxwell Football Club announced on Thursday afternoon.

A true freshman who has started all seven games in which he has played this season, Barham is tied for the team lead with 3 sacks and is second on the team with 4.5 tackles for loss.

A District Heights, Maryland native, Barham is averaging 5.0 tackles per game this season, the most by any freshman in the Big Ten and the seventh most by any freshman in the FBS. He had a career-high 13 tackles along with a sack and a tackle for loss in the Terps' win over SMU.

Barham was named Big Ten Freshman of the Week earlier this season after recording two sacks, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery against Purdue.

Other semifinalists include 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).

A former Rivals250 four-star prospect who starred at Baltimore (Md.) St. Frances, Barham originally committed to South Carolina just days before flipping to the hometown Terps on national signing day. Once signed, he became the highest-rated member of the Terps' 2022 recruiting class.

Past winners of the Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year Award include Clemson's Trevor Lawrence (2018), Memphis' Kenneth Gainwell (2019), Alabama's Will Anderson Jr. (2020) and Georgia's Brock Bowers (2021).

Finalists for the award will be unveiled on December 6 with the winner being announced on December 29. The formal presentation of the award will be made at the Maxwell Football Club Awards Gala in March of 2023.