AJ Barner

Albert "AJ" Barner (born May 3, 2002) is an American professional football tight end for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Indiana Hoosiers and Michigan Wolverines. Barner transferred to Michigan for his senior season, winning a national championship in 2023. He was selected by the Seahawks in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL draft.

AJ Barner

Barner with Michigan in 2023
No. 88 – Seattle Seahawks
Position:	Tight end
Personal information
Born:	(2002-05-03) May 3, 2002 (age 23)[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
Seattle Seahawks (2024–present)
Roster status:	Active
Career highlights and awards
CFP national champion (2023)
Career NFL statistics as of 2024
Receptions: 30 Receiving yards: 245 Receiving touchdowns: 4 Stats at Pro Football Reference

Early life

Barner was born in 2002 at Aurora, Ohio^[2][3] and attended Aurora 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]

College career

Indiana

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 the 2022 Indiana Hoosiers football team, started 10 games, and totaled 28 receptions for 199 yards and three touchdowns.^[1][7]

Michigan

Barner (#89) blocking for J. J. McCarthy in the 2024 Rose Bowl versus Alabama.

In December 2022, Barner entered the NCAA transfer portal and accepted an offer from the University of Michigan.^[8] He chose Michigan because of its prioritization of the tight end position under Jim Harbaugh.^[9] He was named to the John 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]

Professional career

Pre-draft measurables

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 from NFL Combine/Pro Day[12][13][14]

Barner was selected by the Seattle Seahawks in the fourth round, 121st overall, of the 2024 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 the New York Jets and in Week 16 he caught his third in a loss against the Minnesota Vikings. His final touchdown as a rookie came in a Week 18 victory against the Los Angeles 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]