Skip to main content
Join Now
Team Avatar
Michigan

Targeting call on Michigan LB Jaishawn Barham upheld, will miss first half vs. Oklahoma

Grant Grubbs Profile Pictureby: Grant Grubbs09/01/25grant_grubbs_
Jaishawn Barham
Michigan linebacker Jaishawn Barham (1) tackles New Mexico quarterback Jack Layne (2) during the second half at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor on Saturday, August 30, 2025. © Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Michigan linebacker Jaishawn Barham was ejected for targeting in the third quarter of Michigan‘s 34-17 win over New Mexico on Saturday. Michigan appealed the referees’ controversial decision. On Monday, ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg provided an update on the NCAA’s response.

“The targeting call against Michigan linebacker Jaishawn Barham has been upheld, coach Sherrone Moore said,” Rittenberg wrote on X. “Barham will miss the first half of this week’s game at Oklahoma.”

On the play, Barham sacked New Mexico quarterback Jack Layne and made helmet to helmet contact. However, it wasn’t the crown of Barham’s helmet, causing some fans to question the validity of the call.

Yet, it’s important to note targeting doesn’t require a player to use the crown of their helmet. Instead, targeting can be called anytime a player “goes beyond making a legal tackle or a legal block or playing the ball.”

Obviously, this wording leads much up to the judgement of a referee. And, in this case, that judgement was not in Barham’s favor. On Monday, Sherrone Moore also revealed Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti and Big Ten VP of football operations A.J. Edds disagree with the targeting ruling.

“It’s a rule we have to get changed,” Moore said, per Rittenberg. “Just for the game, the toughness of the game, how you want to teach tackling.”

Sophomore linebacker Cole Sullivan replaced Jaishawn Barham following his ejection. Sullivan played well in Barham’s place, recording five tackles, an interception and a sack. While Moore was far from happy with Barham’s ejection, he was pleased with his linebacker unit’s performance.

“That group is elite,” Moore said after the game. “They’re four deep. We feel very strongly about that group. You know that. We’re going to talk about the ejection when we get to that point with the Big Ten and handling that because we don’t agree. And we’ll handle it from there. 

“But overall, Ernest [Hausmann], Jimmy [Rolder], Cole, those guys, we look at as starters as well. We play them every single day, and those guys are moving fast. And Cole Sullivan is putting in a lot of work. And I said this in Big Ten Media Days of how I thought he would really step up. And it wasn’t really a surprise to watch him do what he did today.”

Michigan will be without Barham in the first half when it squares off against Oklahoma on Saturday. The game begin at 7:30 p.m. ET and air live on ABC.