 Barner withMichigan in 2023 | |||||||||
| No. 88 –Seattle Seahawks | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position: | Tight end | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Born: | (2002-05-03)May 3, 2002 (age 22)[1] Aurora, Ohio, U.S. | ||||||||
| Height: | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) | ||||||||
| Weight: | 251 lb (114 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school: | Aurora (OH) | ||||||||
| College: | Indiana (2020–2022) Michigan (2023) | ||||||||
| NFL draft: | 2024: 4th round, 121st pick | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
| |||||||||
| Roster status: | Active | ||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||
| Career NFL statistics as of 2024 | |||||||||
| |||||||||
Albert "AJ" Barner (born May 3, 2002) is an American professionalfootballtight end for theSeattle Seahawks of theNational Football League (NFL). He playedcollege football for theMichigan Wolverines andIndiana Hoosiers. Barner transferred to Michigan for his senior season, winning anational championship in 2023. He was selected by the Seahawks in the fourth round of the2024 NFL draft.
Barner was born in 2002 atAurora, Ohio[2][3] and attendedAurora High School. He played football as a tight end and linebacker at Aurora and was selected as the Northeast Ohio Division III Defensive Player of the Year.[1][4]
Barner played college football as a tight end for Indiana from 2020 to 2022. As a freshman and sophomore, he appeared in all 20 games for Indiana.[5][6] As a junior, he was selected a team captain for the2022 Indiana Hoosiers football team, started 10 games, and totaled 28 receptions for 199 yards and three touchdowns.[1][7]
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In December 2022, Barner entered theNCAA transfer portal and accepted an offer from theUniversity of Michigan.[8] He chose Michigan because of its prioritization of the tight end position underJim Harbaugh.[9] He was named to theJohn Mackey Award watch list in August 2023.[10]
Barner finished the 2023 national championship season with 22 catches for 249 yards and a touchdown. Barner was an All-Big Ten honorable mention.[11]
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) | 251 lb (114 kg) | 33+3⁄8 in (0.85 m) | 9 in (0.23 m) | 4.84 s | 1.65 s | 2.77 s | 4.41 s | 7.02 s | 34.5 in (0.88 m) | 9 ft 9 in (2.97 m) | 22 reps | |
| All values fromNFL Combine/Pro Day[12][13][14] | ||||||||||||
Barner was selected by theSeattle Seahawks in the fourth round, 121st overall, of the2024 NFL draft.[15] In the 2024 NFL regular season, Barner caught a total of 30 passes and had 245 yards.[16] In Week 4 against the Detroit Lions, he scored his first professional touchdown on a nine-yard reception from Geno Smith.[17] In Week 13 he caught his second touchdown in a victory against theNew York Jets and in Week 16 he caught his third in a loss against theMinnesota Vikings. His final touchdown as a rookie came in a Week 18 victory against theLos Angles Rams. He finished his rookie season with a total of 30 receptions, 4 touchdowns, 245 yards, and an average of 8.2 yards per catch.[16]
