Michigan football fall camp notes: New transfer is huge, outstanding, and more

Jim Harbaugh’s impressive transfer portal class is arguably the most complete class in the nation — it filled the gaps that the Wolverines needed to fill and could be a deciding factor throughout the 2023 season. Throughout Michigan football fall camp, one new face appears to be standing out quite a bit to the coaching staff and a few players: Indiana star tight end AJ Barner, who has been described as “huge, outstanding,” and more.

AJ Barner continues to impress throughout Michigan football fall camp

AJ Barner saw a solid career during his time with the Indiana Hoosiers — last year, Barner was a team captain and had a series of solid games throughout the Hoosiers’ disappointing season. This fall, Barner is surrounded by a new program, one that has won back-to-back Big Ten titles, yet that has not stopped him from shining bright throughout spring ball and Michigan football fall camp.

According to Sherrone Moore, who addressed the media earlier during fall camp, Barner has been impressive to this point.

“He’s been outstanding. First of all, he’s huge,” Sherrone Moore began when asked about this new transfer portal addition during his Michigan football fall camp media availability. “(He is) a giant human being, phenomenal kid, phenomenal person, does everything right. But he’s been outstanding because when you’re on edge, and you’re blocking Jaylen Harrell and Kris Jenkins and all those other guys, whoever’s out there — when you can hold up, it’s pretty impressive. And then in the passing game, he’s so big, so fluent, and so agile, he gives you another threat in the passing game that you can’t say, ‘Oh yeah, he’s in the game, you’re gonna run the ball.’ So he’s been extremely valuable. It’s gonna allow multiple things with them, so very excited about that.”

Fellow tight end Colston Loveland happy about this new addition

Coslton Loveland is, without a doubt, a rising star in the Maize and Blue right now. While Loveland has spent more time with the Michigan football program, Barner is a veteran with plenty of Big Ten experience; because of this, these two have been swapping information in preparation for the coming season.

“Obviously, a new offense for him, so I’ve kind of been helping him there, but he’s hooked on like that and got everything like that,” Loveland explained. “I think having an older guy like that who played a lot of games, he’s taught me a lot. Especially like fade balls and stuff like that. He’s really good at that aspect. In the run game, he also blocks really well. So we kind of bounce ideas off each other back and forth. A great addition to the room.”

New transfer portal addition is catching on

AJ Barner is huge  — he stands at 6-foot-6 and weighs in over 250 pounds, according to e. Because of this massive frame — coupled with his great blocking and receiving skills — AJ Barner is a force to be reckoned with in Jim Harbaugh’s old-school Michigan football offense. That said, fitting in with a new team after hitting the transfer portal is hard, but it sounds like things are coming along well thus far.

“Yeah, I think there could be some challenges to that (changing offenses) for sure,” AJ Barner told the media. “When I was at Indiana, I had two offensive coordinators, so I kind of had to learn some different things there. But I think Coach Newsome has done a tremendous job with not only myself but the rest of the tight ends. He harps on the details. He’s always there to take the extra time if we need to go over something. So having him has been extremely helpful. And they just have a system in place that the coaches really know and then also the players know too — Colston (Loveland), Matt Hibner, Brede (Max Bredeson) and Marlin (Klein), and JJ (McCarthy) and all those guys have been there to help me also, and I feel like I’m at the point now where I’m really comfortable with everything.”

A position battle that may never have a true “winner”

Additionally, while Barner and Loveland are learning a lot from one another during Michigan football fall camp, they both want to be TE1 for the Wolverines this season. For the time being, that battle appears to have no true end in sight — these two are both elite tight ends.

“I think it’s great just having both of us here because we can push each other, and we’re each other’s biggest fans also at the same time,” Barner said of the Michigan football fall camp battle for the team’s top tight end spot. “Just having two really good players, it’s been extremely helpful for me and, I think, for him too. He’s just a really talented player, a really smart football player, and I think the way that coach (Grant) Newsome uses us when we’re on the field together and when we’re not (on the field together) will be a great advantage for our offense. And the rest of the tight end room also, we have plenty of really, really good players that I’m really excited to play with.”

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