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The tight ends heading to Mobile, Alabama for the 2024 Senior Bowl.
Tight ends are becoming more and more important in the NFL. Just ask the four teams that played on Championship Sunday. All have great pass-catching tight ends. The Jets have a nice one in Tyler Conklin and an up-and-coming one in Jeremy Ruckert.
The Senior Bowl will feature six tight ends hoping to become the next key offensive piece for a team. Here are the six tight ends that will be in Mobile, Alabama, coached by Denver’s Zack Grossi and Logan Kilgore.
The Patriots prioritize elite offensive weapons in this full seven-round 2024 NFL mock draft
Barring any decisions to trade back or trade up on the board, the New England Patriots are officially locked into pick No. 3 in the 2024 NFL draft.
There are reports the team could wait until after the draft to name a new general manager to keep continuity with the scouting department and the work they have already done.
However, one thing is clear: The Patriots need more talent across the board, and it starts in the NFL draft, where they can get the most bang for their buck with low cost, high impact players.
Here is our latest full seven-round 2024 NFL mock draft for the Patriots:
It was an amazing performance! #GoBlue
Another week, another win. The Wolverines cruised into East Lansing Saturday night and won in dominant fashion. The 49-0 beatdown was the largest margin of victory since the year 1947, when Michigan waltzed (or whatever dance they did back then) to victory by a score of 55-0.
It’s tough to assign a singular MVP in blowouts like this. Everybody played well. The defensive line was disruptive, the secondary made plays, and the offense was clicking. Luckily, I have spent exactly eight weeks practicing just that. Coincidentally, that is the same number of games that Michigan has played. Funny how things like that work out.
Last week the award went to tight end Colston Loveland. This week we stay in the same position group, but move up the seniority ladder.
That’s right, A.J. Barner takes home the most important award in college athletics on the same weekend we celebrated national tight ends day. Glorious.
Barner was McCarthy’s favorite target on Saturday. The transfer caught eight passes for 99 yards and a touchdown and moved the chains on a number of important downs.
His impact was felt as early as the first drive when he worked open on a third and 13 to give McCarthy an option downfield, moving the chains. He did not let up from there. Barner snagged a touchdown, had a nice contested catch on a laser from McCarthy, and blocked well all night. A true complete game from the tight end spot.
So why not anyone else? Well, as I mentioned earlier, a lot of people played very well. Derrick Moore had a sack and a few run stuffs, Junior Colson registered 11 tackles, but no one really took the game over like Barner. He was constantly open and provided the Wolverine offense with a spark plug they never really needed.
Mason Graham: 1
Colston Loveland: 1
AJ Barner: 1
It’s great to be a #Michigan Wolverine! #GoBlue
What a great night to be a Michigan Wolverine.
The maize and blue retained possession of the Paul Bunyan trophy, and will keep bragging rights for another season. And they did so with authority. The 42-0 blowout marks the largest margin of victory since 1947. Beatdowns like this do not happen often.
The win meant a lot to the team as well. With recent speculation over cheating allegations, the Wolverines have been in the spotlight for the wrong reasons as of late. A blowout like this should give the program a morale boost and flip headlines until more news breaks regarding the scandal.
These guys are poised for a big game! #GoBlue
Michigan is set to kick off against Indiana this Saturday at noon EST. The Wolverines are looking to keep their undefeated season alive, while the Hoosiers are trying not to get embarassed.
As per usual, this game has more going on than just the score. Michigan has a number of player storylines to keep track of heading into this weekend’s game. Can Junior Colson and Rayshaun Benny make their splash plays? How about the run game, can it put Michigan is the drivers seat?
If the score gets out of hand early, stay tuned in to see how the following players perform!
Just shows how strong the culture is at #Michigan now. #GoBlue
ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Often, when college football players are in the same position group, you hear stories of animosity just as much as you hear ones of togetherness. There’s only one ball to go around, and whether you’re a quarterback, running back, wide receiver, or tight end, the pickings can get slim. But for fifth-year transfer tight end AJ Barner, who came aboard from Indiana, he couldn’t be happier to share duties with sophomore Colston Loveland.
“He’s one of my best friends on the team,” Barner said. “On and off the field, we’re always hanging out and whatnot. He’s just an awesome dude, an awesome player. And I think just having him here, were able to bounce ideas off each other. Come off the field and maybe ask him a question. And he might ask me a question. I think just having that relationship is something that’s super good for both of us, as players and as people, also.
“I think I’ve been fortunate to be around a lot of good tight ends, even when I was at Indiana,” Barner said. “But I think he’s just, like I said, a great person. And I don’t think it necessarily surprised me, because even when I came here on my visit, I was introduced to him, and he was an awesome guy. So I think that from the start, it just really clicked.”
But how do each help the other? Culturally, Michigan in the past two years has been all about older players helping along the younger players, but with several key transfers arriving this offseason, we’re hearing just as much of younger players aiding their newfound elders.
Barner may have been around the game longer, but Loveland started to break out in his first year, making key plays in big games against Ohio State and in the Big Ten Championship game against Purdue. He’s also been in the system for a year longer, so the duo bounces ideas off of each other to make sure they’re both on the same page.
“Just depending on coverages and routes, and it might not even be a question but like, ‘Hey, what do you think on that? Like, how I ran that route?’ Or, ‘What do you think on this blocking scheme?’ Or, ‘How can when we’re both in together, you know, make something happen?’ And I think our communication also on the field, because a lot of times we’re working together, whatever our job may be. So I think that’s a lot of what the communication in question is about.
“I think we’re critical enough of each other. Like I said before, we’re each other’s biggest fans, but also the biggest critics at the same time, but definitely not over the top. But we’re gonna be honest with each other and I think that’s super important.”
Barner got his first catch as a Wolverine this past week, a 12-yard dart which gave Michigan a first down. Loveland, thus far, has six catches for 63 yards. Assuredly, as the season wears on, both will get more involved in the passing game, and it can be assured that they’re both rooting for each other’s success.
#Michigan already has some familiarity here. #GoBlue
ANN ARBOR, Mich. — There’s a lot of corollaries between Michigan football and its next opponent, Bowling Green. Jim Harbaugh’s dad, Jack Harbaugh, played and coached there, the Falcons’ current head coach is former Michigan quarterback and coach Scot Loeffler, and Erik ‘Soup’ Campbell, another former Wolverines player and coach, is on staff at BGSU, as well.
But there are some different connections for this Michigan football team and the Falcons.
A transfer who’s on his third school, Connor Bazelak was teammates last year with AJ Barner, as both departed Indiana following the 2022 season. Barner is excited to see his former quarterback, noting a time when they had a football connection in a game a year ago.
“Connor’s a good dude, a good player also, and I’m excited to go up against him and it’ll be good to see him again. And I wish him the best of luck,” Barner said. “He threw me a touchdown against Idaho, which was cool. But yeah, he’s a really good player, and I can’t wait to see him this weekend. And I’m excited for it.”
But there’s also the fact that the Wolverines saw Bazelak on the other side of the ball. Against Michigan in Week 6 in 2022, Bazelak went 25-for-49 for 203 yards with a touchdown and one interception.
While it’s unclear at the moment whether or not the full complement of the secondary will finally take the field for the first time this season, nickel back Mike Sainristil will be out there. And he recalls having played against Bazelak, the once-Hoosiers and Missouri Tigers QB. Though his stat line isn’t exactly something to write home about, he has good skill and ability, and there are things that Sainristil will be on the lookout for come Saturday.
“I feel like the biggest thing for us is that just knowing that when he’s under pressure situations — last year, we got a ton of pressure on him and he did a great job of just dumping the ball out of bounds,” Sainristil said. “We’ve just got to make sure we keep the main thing the main thing, make sure that our coverage is tight. Help the D-line get a good rush. In the back end, back seven help to D-line get a good rush. The line’s gonna go out there and do what it is that they do. That’s what they’re known for. So I’m excited to go out there and play on Saturday.”
Michigan hosts Bowling Green on Saturday night with a 7:30 p.m. EDT kickoff under the lights. The game will be nationally broadcast on Big Ten network.
It’s going to be exciting seeing these guys in action! #GoBlue
ANN ARBOR, Mich. — It’s a different world coming from Bloomington to Ann Arbor given the considerable upgrade in talent. That’s not to impugn Indiana players, but there’s a reason why the Michigan Wolverines are ranked No. 2 in the preseason compared to its Big Ten East counterpart.
Entering his fifth year, tight end AJ Barner is getting a fresh start with the maize and blue, and in doing so, he’s competing against some of the top defensive linemen in the conference, if not the country, in fall camp.
So, who has been standing out to him? What battles have challenged him the most?
“I would say I’ve seen a lot from — just because I go up against him every day — Jaylen (Harrell) is a really good player,” Barner said. “Kris Jenkins, a very good player. But like I said, this team so deep that somebody might make a great play on one play and the next play get beat, just because everyone’s very, very good. So I think me going up against the D-lineman a lot, they’ve stood out to me.”
Michigan has a lot of different types of edge rushers at the moment, with five who all have very unique skill sets. Some are bigger and more powerful, some are smaller, sleeker, and faster, others are a combination of traits.
Barner shared a little about some of his fall camp competition and why he expects them to be more than a challenge for opposing linemen this season.
“Yeah, I think that’s definitely one of the biggest strengths,” Barner said. “Braiden’s a bigger guy, Jaylen’s a longer guy, Josiah Stewart has very strong hands, TJ Guy’s a very good player, D-Moore. And I think the ability to just rotate those guys and have fresh guys would just be a nightmare for any Big Ten team and then that’s not even talking about the interior guys also that can play in four-Is or go inside and play in the A-gap.”
That said, who gives him the most trouble in fall camp? Barner is a bit mum about that, but notes that a pair of defensive linemen are the ones sharpening his skills the most.
“I wouldn’t say give me trouble, but I definitely love going up against Kris and I love going up against Jaylen, too, just because I know I’m gonna have to bring it and that we both make each other better.”
Fans will get a chance to see Michigan football take the field in just over two weeks with the Sept. 2 noon kickoff against East Carolina taking place at The Big House.
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The position group is going to continue to be loaded. #GoBlue
PARADISE VALLEY, Ariz. — Michigan football not only has high expectations for the rest of the 2022 season, but also for the future.
The offense has long been predicated on running back and tight end play. Though the Wolverines have lost tight ends and will lose more, the future is still bright in Ann Arbor. Certainly, that’s how tight ends coach Grant Newsome looks at it.
The maize and blue lost Erick All, first to injury and then to the transfer portal. Luke Schoonmaker is graduating, as is Joel Honigford. But in the past three games, Colston Loveland, a freshman from Gooding, Idaho, has stood out, reeling in two touchdowns in the two biggest games of the season.
Newsome shared his thoughts about why Loveland has caught on, and how important he is to this offense now.
“The crazy thing is like we saw this with Colston in the springtime you got here we knew a pretty special player,” Newsome said. “And, obviously, Erick going down and then Schoony coming in and out of some games, were banged up a little bit in the middle of the season, he really never missed a beat. He capitalized on those opportunities and really kind of carved out a role for himself as a true freshman. He’s worked incredibly hard.”
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One player we still haven’t seen a lot of is third-year tight end Matthew Hibner.
Hibner’s claim to fame this season was recovering the fumble on the opening kick against Maryland, but he’s been biding his time until he can be a factor in the offense itself. The former four-star from Burke, Virginia, certainly has the skills, we just haven’t seen them yet.
Newsome shared more about what he’s seen from Hibner in practice, as well as his overall outlook on what he brings to the table.
“Yeah, he’s playing really, really well right now. And again, it’s kind of a unique situation where we’ve got an NFL tight end who’s a fifth-year guy, and he’s starting a lot of reps. Colston’s come on, and kind of done some real good stuff as well. But Matt’s doing an incredible job. I really, really think highly of him. He’s obviously showing up on special teams, recovered a fumble against Maryland, three tackles this year on special teams, including that big hit against Purdue. So he’s playing his tail off right now. And I’m excited to see throughout this playoff and into the next season how that kind of translates more to tight end.”
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Hibner will still fight for playing time in his fourth year, however, since Loveland will be back and the Wolverines added a big piece via the transfer portal in December.
AJ Barner was a leader for the Indiana Hoosiers team, and even represented IU at Big Ten media days this year. He committed to Michigan and could have an inside track for a starting role.
Newsome explained why the Wolverines decided to go out and get another tight end, despite the current roster and recruiting additions of Deakon Tonielli and Zack Marshall. He said it was a no-brainer to bring in a player of Barner’s caliber to Ann Arbor.
“We’re super excited about obviously,” Newsome said. “Losing Schoony, losing Joel, you’re kind of losing that inline, wide tight body. Gonna bring in a guy who not just can fill that role, but has excelled at that role. And has started in our conference. It just made all the sense in the world to bring a guy like that who can come in and contribute immediately and fight for a starting spot.”
But what did he and the staff see in him that made them interested?
Newsome mentions his ability not just to be able to catch the ball, but also his prowess in blocking — the combination of which is precisely what will get you on the field in Ann Arbor.
“First, just physically very imposing, extremely well-built, very tall and athletic, physical, can do all the kind of inline blocking that we ask our guys to do, which is not the case across the country,” Newsome said. “It’s tough to and he’s (done) it not just in college, but in this conference, which is tough. And then, obviously, you watch the Ohio State game they played last year and he goes up and catches a fade on one of their corners. So he really kind of fits all that we do, he can handle the inline stuff and the running game and also be able to go out and flex out and catch passes.”
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Got much needed TE depth! #GoBlue
| Stars | Overall | Position | |
| 247Sports | 4 | #39 | #5 TE |
| On3 | 3 | #246 | #9 TE |
| Hometown | Aurora, Ohio |
| Projected Position | Tight End |
| Height | 6-foot-6 |
| Weight | 250-pounds |
| High School Class | 2020 |
| Team Transferring From | Indiana |
| HS 247Sports Composite Ranking | 3-star (#1147 prospect) |
| HS On3 Consensus Ranking | 3-star (#1169 prospect) |
Here's a quick look at the latest edition to the TE room: AJ Barner. 😯@_ajbarner_ x @UMichFootball pic.twitter.com/DYW0hoekAJ
— Michigan On BTN (@MichiganOnBTN) December 21, 2022
Hoosier touchdown courtesy of TE AJ Barner 🔥#IUFB 7 | #OSU 21 @IUSTVsports pic.twitter.com/S5OTYrqnx0
— Gwen Parks (@yeahgwen) November 12, 2022
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