Sherrone Moore raves about 'giant human being' at tight end
Michigan football’s tight end room looks slightly different from last season with a litany of upperclassmen moving on after 2022. Sophomore Colston Loveland has drawn the most praise and excitement for what he could be, but Indiana grad transfer AJ Barner has turned heads.
He might also warrant more discussion moving forward as someone with a big role in the passing game.
Michigan offensive coordinator/offensive line coach Sherrone Moore discussed his tight end duo during a session with the media on Thursday.
“He’s been outstanding,” Moore said. “First of all, he’s huge. He’s a giant human being. Phenomenal kid. phenomenal person, does everything right. He’s been outstanding. Because when you’re on the edge and you’re blocking Jaylen Harrell and Kris Jenkins and all those other guys or whoever’s out there, and you can hold up, it’s pretty impressive. In the passing game, he’s so big and he’s so fluid and so agile, he gives you another threat in the passing game.
“You can’t say, ‘he’s in the game, they’re gonna run the ball. ‘So he’s been extremely valuable. It’s gonna allow very, you know, multiple things with him. Very excited about him.”
Barner had 28 receptions for 199 yards and 3 touchdowns in 10 games last season with Indiana. During the 2021 season, he hauled in 14 passes for 162 yards and a touchdown. Barner played eight games on special during the truncated COVID season in 2020, meaning he has as many as two years of college remaining due to the pandemic-related eligibility pause.
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Barner has established himself as a solid receiving threat, but he’s also adept as a run-blocking tight end. He ranked 10th among Big Ten tight ends who had over 108 run-blocking snaps with a 59.7 PFF grade in that category in 2022, while the 65.2 rating he had on gap-scheme runs slotted fifth in the conference.
Michigan watching a ‘beast’ emerge in Colston Loveland
Loveland and Barner could combine to be one of the best tight end duos in the country at Michigan in 2023. So far, it looks like the hype around his potential breakout season is justified with a strong start to fall camp after a productive offseason.
“Man, that dude is a beast,” Moore said. “I don’t know if there is, he could be as good as he wants to be. He could be the best one in the country. And I know there’s one down in Georgia [Brock Bowers] who’s been extremely good and he’s a phenomenal player. But just very excited to see where Colston is and his progress, what he’s done already in training camp.
“He’s already gotten bigger. He’s already gotten stronger. He’s already gotten faster. He understands where everything is in the offense now, so he’s not being not spoon-fed everything. You’re throwing it all at him and he gets it. Just very excited to see him and where he goes. He can be as good as anybody in the country. I think he’s an extraordinary player and excited to have the year with him.
Loveland recorded 16 catches for 235 yards and two touchdowns last season. The two scores came in a few of the most critical games of the season – a 45-yard strike from J.J. McCarthy in the Ohio State game and a jump ball fade toward the endzone in the Big Ten title game.
