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Michigan loses targeting appeal, will be without key defensive piece Jaishawn Barham vs Oklahoma

ByFrank Sciarroni|
Jaishawn Barham #1 of the Michigan Wolverines sacks Jack Layne #2 of the New Mexico Lobos during the second half of a college football game at Michigan Stadium on August 30, 2025 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The call was later changed to a targeting personal foul. The Michigan Wolverines won the game 34-17.
Jaishawn Barham #1 of the Michigan Wolverines sacks Jack Layne #2 of the New Mexico Lobos during the second half of a college football game at Michigan Stadium on August 30, 2025 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The call was later changed to a targeting personal foul. The Michigan Wolverines won the game 34-17. | Aaron J. Thornton/GettyImages

The Michigan Wolverines will be without a key piece on the defensive side of the ball for the first half of their massive showdown at Oklahoma. Inside linebacker Jaishawn Barham will officially have to sit out the first half of the game after being ejected for targeting during the second half of Michigan’s Week 1 matchup against New Mexico.

Under NCAA rules, a targeting penalty in the first half results in an ejection for the remainder of that game, but if the penalty occurs in the second half, the player is ejected for the rest of that game and must also miss the first half of the following game.

Michigan appealed the targeting call in hopes of getting Barham back for the full game, but the ruling was upheld today in a decision that both head coach Sherrone Moore and Big Ten Commissioner Tony Petitti disagree with.

While some may joke about Michigan’s relationship with the NCAA, especially in light of recent events, and question their right to appeal any ruling, the Wolverines were in the right with this one. Not only was the targeting call itself very controversial, but the appeal also hopefully sheds light on the absurdity of the rule that forces a player to miss time in the following game.

Regardless, Barham will be unavailable for the first half against the Sooners, which is a significant loss for Michigan’s defense in terms of both production and veteran experience. Barham, who transferred in from Maryland, was Michigan’s second-leading tackler last year and entered this season with high hopes for a breakout campaign to become a premier linebacker in the Big Ten. Taking his place will likely be sophomore Cole Sullivan, who did so against New Mexico, and finished that game with five tackles, one sack, and an interception.

On top of Barham, the status of star safety Rod Moore remains uncertain as he continues to recover from an ACL injury that kept him out of Week 1. Missing both Barham and potentially Moore will make defensive coordinator Wink Martindale’s job even more difficult as he prepares to slow down a high-powered Oklahoma offense led by new quarterback John Mateer and offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle.

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