State of the Room - Tight Ends
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Photo Credit: Kamaron Farver, Indiana Daily Student (“IDS”)
The tight end room was one of the few bright spots for the Hoosiers offense in 2021 as Peyton Hendershot put together an All-Big Ten campaign and A.J. Barner started to flash his potential as a possible top tier B1G tight end. Walt Bell’s offense will use the tight end in many different positions and even in an H-back formation, with plenty of formations featuring two tight ends on the field together. It will be different, but Hoosier fans were screaming for different things all season, so this new scheme at the very least should provide a breath of fresh air into the offense.
Hendershot is off to the NFL, and Matt Bjorson hit the portal at the end of January, but this is a room that is deep, athletic, and oozing with potential. Can Walt Bell put the pieces together to make this a productive unit? Only time will tell.
Departures
The biggest departure is that of Peyton Hendershot to the NFL. He finished his Hoosier career as the school’s all-time leader in receptions and receiving yards for a tight end and just one touchdown short of the top spot for that category as well. Kham Taylor also leaves, but he was a ghost at IU after transferring in from South Alabama to serve as a blocking tight end. Finally, Matt Bjorson hit the portal after serving as a great leader and blocker in the tight end room with 45 games played over his four seasons.
Aside from Hendershot’s production and Bjorson’s blocking ability leaving the room, the experience the group will lose is a massive blow. IU will now look for uber-athletic A.J. Barner to lead the room, while a trio of young players behind him will have to be ready to step up and contribute.
Returnees
The Hoosiers return a duo of young, but exciting tight ends in 2022. Leading the way will be A.J. Barner who flashed what he brings to the passing game in 2021. After playing in 8 games as a true freshman in 2020, Barner played an even bigger role in 2021 as he played in all 12 games, including one start. He made 14 catches for 162 yards and a touchdown. The hope is that Walt Bell uses Barner’s skill set better than the previous offensive coordinator, and this would include screens, sweeps, and even some more snaps with him lined up off of the line and more in the slot. With so many new receivers added to the IUFB offense this offseason, you have to figure that Barner has the chance to really impact games in 2022 as a familiar face and large, “safety blanket” type of target.
Behind Barner is freshman Aaron Steinfeldt, who played in one game last year. Steinfeldt, a Bloomington North alum, is another big target for the offense to look for at six-foot-five. He’s also an excellent athlete who can make plays down field, and at 245 pounds, the hope is that Steinfeldt can also become a force in the run game as a blocker. Steinfeldt taking a step forward this year will be crucial for the IU offense to try and keep the tight end position productive in 2022 and beyond.
The Hoosiers also have several walk-on tight ends who could be a stop-gap to let their two incoming freshmen develop. James Bomba came in last season from Miami (OH) and is six-foot-six and 255 pounds, Sam Daugstrup walked on prior to the 2020 season after being a three-star recruit, Ryan Barnes is a redshirt junior who has experience playing in seven games, as well as Trey Walker who played in two games last season.
Newcomers
The Hoosiers added two freshmen signees to the tight end room in 2022. A four-star signee in Brody Foley out of Ohio, who flipped his commitment from Tennessee about a week before the early signing period, and Ryan Miller, a six-foot-six prospect who was rated as the 23rd best tight end prospect in the country but missed some of his senior season with an injury.
Both players bring length and skill to the position, and fit the new type of athletic playmaking mold that Coach Allen and new OC Walt Bell have emphasized at this position. Miller can be used in close to the line as well as split out wide, while Foley brings a linebacker mentality to the position and could be an ideal H-back in Bell’s system.
While fits and roles will have to be determined for these two talented freshmen, the bottom line is that both will have to be ready to play as true freshmen with the departure of Matt Bjorson, and with the likelihood that Walt Bell will use lots of “12” personnel formations (one running back and two tight ends on the field at the same time). Ryan Miller being on campus starting with spring ball should be a nice boost to the group during early workouts and playbook installs.
Final Group Projections for 2022
Four Scholarship Tight Ends
A.J. Barner - Junior
Aaron Steinfeldt - Sophomore
Ryan Miller - Incoming Freshman (in for spring)
Brody Foley - Incoming Freshman
Walk-ons with Experience
Ryan Barnes - RS Senior
Trey Walker - RS Junior
James Bomba - RS Freshman
Sam Daugstrap - RS Sophomore