Michigan football transfer is “best in the country” in key aspect

Yesterday, the undefeated Wolverines took on the Indiana Hoosiers at the Big House in Ann Arbor — the team’s seventh game of the 2023 season. For Michigan football transfer portal addition AJ Barner, the game was against a familiar team, seeing as he was a team captain for the Hoosiers last fall. After the game, head coach Jim Harbaugh explained that he believes Barner is the best blocking tight end in the nation right now.

Michigan football transfer is “best in the country” in key aspect

AJ Barner was a major get for Jim Harbaugh via the transfer portal heading into the 2023 season. Not only was Barner a team captain in the Big Ten for Indiana, but his experience and skill set give him the tools that play well with what sophomore tight end Colston Loveland can do for Sherrone Moore’s offense.

Jim Harbaugh praises transfer portal tight end AJ Barner

If you ask 9th-year Michigan football coach Jim Harbaugh, there isn’t a better blocking tight end in the nation than AJ Barner.

“AJ Barner was already a really great blocker and now he’s an elite — I think he’s the best in the country blocking from the tight end position,” Jim Harbaugh said. “And (tight ends coach) Grant (Newsome) is a great coach. But there’s something special about the way, I mean, diagnosing things from the sidelines or from the press box.

“I know it’s well-documented what I think of him (Newsome) and where he is going — it’s all the way to the top of this profession. But I just want to point that out. I’ve never seen anybody better, pre-snap diagnosing defensive fronts and coverages and blitzes. All of it.”

AJ Barner and the Michigan football offense are humming right now. After starting the season with a few bumps, the offense has scored a lot of points over the past few weeks — Michigan scored 45, 52, and 52 respectively over the past three weeks of the 2023 season.

Next weekend, Michigan football will face the Michigan State Spartans on the road before returning home and get a bye in Week 9.

Thank you for reading Blue by Ninety. For more Michigan Athletics and Big Ten content from Blue by Ninety, follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. You can also subscribe to our YouTube Channel. For feedback, questions, concerns, or to apply for a writing position, please email our Publisher at Cj@BluebyNinety.com. Also, be sure to check out our shop and our podcast, which is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and all other streaming platforms. It is because of your support that we have become one of the fastest-growing and most influential Michigan media outlets there is!