Indiana Tight End AJ Barner Enters Transfer Portal

Indiana football lost one of its top offensive weapons on Sunday when tight end AJ Barner announced his intentions to enter the transfer portal.

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana tight end AJ Barner announced on Sunday he's entering the transfer portal. Barner played three seasons at Indiana and has two years of remaining eligibility.

Thank you IU, forever grateful pic.twitter.com/oxEs3WXDPY

— AJ 🧟‍♂️ (@_ajbarner_) December 4, 2022

Indiana is expected to lose a significant portion of its roster when the transfer portal officially opens on Dec. 5 in the wake of a 4-8 campaign in 2022, and Barner is the first major loss.

Barner, a native of Aurora, Ohio, appeared in 28 games through three seasons for the Hoosiers. He made an immediate impact on special teams as a freshman while learning behind veteran tight ends Peyton Hendershot and Matt Bjorson. 

After catching 14 passes for 162 yards and one touchdown as a sophomore in 2021, Barner was in line for a breakout season in 2022. He was selected as a team captain before the season, and Indiana coach Tom Allen said Barner had a chance to be the best tight end in Indiana football history. 

Barner dealt with a foot injury throughout the season, which caused him to miss games against Michigan and Maryland. He finished his junior season with 28 catches for 199 yards and three touchdowns. 

AJ Barner snags it and @IndianaFootball takes one back! 🙌 pic.twitter.com/Xr1SSuLZni

— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) November 12, 2022

Barner never reached his full potential at Indiana, but the physical tools were clearly there. At 6-foot-6, Barner was a dangerous red zone target, seen through his jump-ball touchdown at Ohio State. He could run after the catch, too. Barner developed into a strong run blocker, and his absence leaves plenty of production to replace in the tight end room.

Aaron Steinfeldt elevated his game when Barner was out with injury this season, and fellow Bloomington native James Bomba saw an increased role as the season went on. Indiana tight ends coach Kevin Wright raved about Steinfeldt's ball skills in the passing game, and he liked using Bomba in two-tight end formations when Indiana ran the ball. 

Brody Foley didn't play as a freshman in 2022, but he could be a big part of Indiana's future at tight end. Foley was a three-star recruit out of Cincinnati, Ohio, ranked No. 502 overall. Indiana brought in its highest-ranked recruiting class in school history in 2022, and Foley was the sixth-highest ranked player in that class behind outside linebacker Dasan McCullough, cornerback Trevell Mullen, wide receiver Omar Cooper Jr., defensive lineman Nick James and offensive lineman DJ Moore.

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