2022 Countdown to IUFB Kickoff: 88 Days (AJ Barner)

Written by: TJ Inman (@TJHoosierHuddle)

The 2022 Hoosier Huddle Countdown is well and truly underway. Each day, we will take a look at one (or two) players on the current roster and highlight the players role in the upcoming season. Today’s profile is a potential breakout star in Walt Bell’s new offense as he steps into the starting tight end position: #88 AJ Barner!

Name: AJ Barner

Hometown: Aurora, Ohio (Aurora High School)

Position: Tight End

Year: Junior

Height/Weight: 6’6”/251 pounds

Twitter: (@_ajbarner_) Instagram: (@ajbarner88)

The 2021 Indiana Hoosiers offense struggled mightily in nearly every way you measure success. Injuries stripped the unit of scholarship quarterbacks and explosive playmakers and the offensive line was unable to meaningfully open up holes for the running game. The Hoosiers entered the year with Peyton Hendershot ensconced as the primary receiving tight end and young AJ Barner poised as his understudy while Matt Bjorson held down the blocking role. The ills of the attack as a whole filtered to the production of the tight ends and no one had the kind of year they were hoping for.

An argument could be made that the high point for the season for the offense came courtesy of AJ Barner. He caught a pass in the contest against Idaho and turned it into a 76-yard touchdown. Despite the impressive play, he was scarcely featured in Nick Sheridan’s offensive scheme and was invisible for the middle part of the campaign, reemerging to catch at least three receptions in each of the final three games. Hendershot and Bjorson are now gone and the lead dog at tight end is Barner. The production of the last few games of 2021 plus a new offensive system leads to a promise of an improved 2022 for the Ohio-native.

Barner played both tight end and linebacker at Aurora High School. He was actually more prolific on defense, earning Northeast Ohio Division III Defensive Player of the Year in 2019 as his team went 13-1 and advanced to the state semifinals. As a freshman in 2020, Barner played in all eight games and appeared nearly exclusively on special teams. He moves with a clear athleticism and fluidity that makes it clear he could be a force at tight end and his frame is ideal for the position.

In short, Barner has everything you’d look for and the hope is that Walt Bell and a new offensive system can utilize the position better than Nick Sheridan’s offense did. He’s definitely the number one guy in the room but there are several others that should be interesting to watch. Freshmen Brody Foley and Ryan Miller are both well-regarded recruits and could play as freshmen, Aaron Steinfeldt and James Bomba are both redshirt freshmen from Bloomington that could factor in and Sam Daugstrup has been recovering from injuries but could earn some playing time.

Tom Allen did not sugarcoat things though, Barner is the number one tight end. “He’s stepping into that role of being the lead guy in that room,” Allen said of Barner in May, “and also the lead guy in that position in terms of production. I see a lot out of him which I’ve been really encouraged by.”

The countdown continues with a new profile each and every day so come back to hoosierhuddle.com daily!