Tight end, Michigan (from Indiana), 2020–23
A.J. Barner
- Number
- No. 89
- Height
- 6′6″
- Weight
- 251 lb
- Class (2023)
- Senior
- Hometown
- Aurora, OH
- Born
- May 3, 2002
A.J. Barner played tight end at Indiana (2020–22) and Michigan (2023). The Seattle Seahawks took Barner in round 4, No. 121 overall in the 2024 NFL Draft.
At a glance
Career highs
8catches, career highat Michigan State, 202399receiving yards, career highat Michigan State, 2023Team titles: National champions, 2023 (Michigan); Big Ten champions, 2023
Receiving
Defense
Season lines from CollegeFootballData, regular season and bowls.
On the roster
| Season | Team | No. | Pos | Class | Ht | Wt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Indiana | 89 | TE | Fr. | ||
| 2021 | Indiana | 89 | TE | So. | ||
| 2022 | Indiana | 89 | TE | Jr. | ||
| 2023 | Michigan | 89 | TE | Sr. | 6′6″ | 251 |
As each season’s roster listed the player (CollegeFootballData). Classes before the latest listing are counted back from it; “Yr 1” is the year on file where that count can’t place a season he played (a redshirt, transfer or 2020 year); height and weight as last listed.
Per play
| Season | Team | Plays | EPA/play | Pctile | Median | Total | Usage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Indiana | 16 | 0.17 | – | – | 2.8 | – |
| 2022 | Indiana | 45 | 0.12 | 3rd (n=683) | 0.71 | 5.3 | 7% |
| 2023 | Michigan | 23 | 0.94 | – | – | 21.5 | 4% |
Expected points added: how much the player’s plays moved the team’s expected score, per play and in total. Plays: total EPA divided by EPA per play, the plays the source credits to him (for a receiver roughly his catches and runs, not every target; for a passer, not every attempt), so it can differ from attempts plus carries. Percentile: against the position’s regulars that season across all divisions on file (quarterbacks with 150+ plays, backs 60+, receivers and tight ends 30+), with how many there were (n) and their median; a dash means too few plays to rank. A season in progress uses the full-season bar scaled by games played, never below 75 plays for quarterbacks, 30 for backs and 20 for receivers. The cohort grows or shrinks with the source’s coverage each season (2025 lists far more players), so compare percentiles rather than raw EPA across years. FCS seasons are marked. Usage: the share of the team’s plays the player was part of (shown from 20 plays). From CollegeFootballData, 2013 on.
Game by game
2023 Michigan 10 games, 22 catches, 249 yards, 1 TD
| Date | Opponent | Result | Rec | Rec yds | Rec TD | Tkl | Sacks | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 9 | vs. UNLV | W 35–7 | 1 | 12 | 0 | – | – | – |
| Sep 23 | vs. Rutgers | W 31–7 | 3 | 13 | 0 | – | – | – |
| Sep 30 | at Nebraska | W 45–7 | 2 | 26 | 0 | – | – | – |
| Oct 7 | at Minnesota | W 52–10 | 2 | 24 | 0 | – | – | – |
| Oct 14 | vs. Indiana | W 52–7 | 1 | 18 | 0 | – | – | – |
| Oct 21 | at Michigan State | W 49–0 | 8 | 99 | 1 | – | – | – |
| Nov 11 | at Penn State | W 24–15 | 1 | 12 | 0 | – | – | – |
| Nov 18 | at Maryland | W 31–24 | 1 | 7 | 0 | – | – | – |
| Nov 25 | vs. Ohio State | W 30–24 | 2 | 25 | 0 | – | – | – |
| Dec 2 | vs. Iowa | W 26–0 | 1 | 13 | 0 | – | – | – |
2022 Indiana 10 games, 27 catches, 193 yards, 3 TD
| Date | Opponent | Result | Rec | Rec yds | Rec TD | Tkl | Sacks | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 2 | vs. Illinois | W 23–20 | 4 | 25 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Sep 10 | vs. Idaho | W 35–22 | 3 | 57 | 1 | – | – | – |
| Sep 17 | vs. Western Kentucky | W 33–30 | 2 | 4 | 0 | – | – | – |
| Sep 24 | at Cincinnati | L 24–45 | 1 | 12 | 0 | – | – | – |
| Oct 1 | atNebraska | L 21–35 | 3 | 23 | 0 | – | – | – |
| Oct 22 | atRutgers | L 17–24 | 4 | 5 | 0 | – | – | – |
| Nov 5 | vs.Penn State | L 14–45 | 2 | 24 | 1 | – | – | – |
| Nov 12 | atOhio State | L 14–56 | 4 | 8 | 1 | – | – | – |
| Nov 19 | atMichigan State | W 39–31 | 1 | 24 | 0 | – | – | – |
| Nov 26 | vs. Purdue | L 16–30 | 3 | 11 | 0 | – | – | – |
2021 Indiana 9 games, 14 catches, 162 yards, 1 TD
| Date | Opponent | Result | Rec | Rec yds | Rec TD | Tkl | Sacks | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 4 | atIowa | L 6–34 | 1 | 2 | 0 | – | – | – |
| Sep 11 | vs.Idaho | W 56–14 | 1 | 76 | 1 | – | – | – |
| Sep 25 | atWestern Kentucky | W 33–31 | 1 | 5 | 0 | – | – | – |
| Oct 16 | vs.Michigan State | L 15–20 | – | – | – | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Oct 30 | atMaryland | L 35–38 | – | – | – | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Nov 6 | at Michigan | L 7–29 | 1 | 4 | 0 | – | – | – |
| Nov 13 | vs.Rutgers | L 3–38 | 3 | 15 | 0 | – | – | – |
| Nov 20 | vs.Minnesota | L 14–35 | 3 | 31 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Nov 27 | atPurdue | L 7–44 | 4 | 29 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
2020 Indiana 3 games, 4 tackles
Box scores from CollegeFootballData, 2004 on. ✦ postseason; ★ a career high on file.
Before the draft
Played in the 2024 Senior Bowl (National team, won 16–7).
| Drill | Combine 2024 | Combine or pro day 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Height | 6′6″ | |
| Weight | 251 lb | |
| Arm length | 33⅜″ | |
| Hand size | 9″ | |
| Wingspan | 81⅞″W | |
| 40-yard dash | 4.86 s | |
| 10-yard split | 1.65 sW | |
| Vertical jump | 34½″ | |
| Broad jump | 9′9″ | |
| Bench press | 22 reps | |
| 3-cone drill | 7.02 s | |
| 20-yard shuttle | 4.41 s |
Combine or pro day: the source doesn’t say which. Unmarked: Combine and pro day results compiled by array-carpenter (nfl-draft-data); W: Pre-draft measurables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA). Rosters and honors: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA).
In the NFL
3 seasons, 37 games with a stat; latest team: Seattle Seahawks.
| Season | Team | G | Rec | Yds | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Seattle Seahawks | 15 | 30 | 245 | 4 |
| 2025 | Seattle Seahawks | 17 | 52 | 519 | 6 |
| 2026 (so far) | Seattle Seahawks | 5 | 12 | 122 | 0 |
| NFL career | 37 | 94 | 886 | 10 | |
Regular seasons, from nflverse (CC BY 4.0). G counts games in which the player recorded a stat.
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