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3 Potential Breakout Players on Offense for Michigan Football

By Jordan Bruetsch

Michigan wide receiver Darrius Clemons (0) warms up before the Big Ten championship game against Purdue at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis on Saturday, Dec. 3, 2022.
Michigan wide receiver Darrius Clemons (0) warms up before the Big Ten championship game against Purdue at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis on Saturday, Dec. 3, 2022. /
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. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images)
. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images) /

A.J. Barner

A.J. Barner transfered to Michigan football from Indiana over the offseason. The former Hoosier captain caught 28 passes for 199 yards and three touchdowns last season. While Barner won’t pass Colston Loveland on the depth chart, we know that Michigan loves to use the tight ends.

Barner will get plenty of playing time, and I think he’ll make a real impact. In fact, I think that the tight end room will be better this season than last season, despite the loss of second-round pick Luke Schoonmaker. Michigan has a legitimate All-American candidate in Colston Loveland and another potential NFL guy in A.J. Barner.

Barner impressed in the Spring Game and has the look of a successful Michigan tight end. Barner is going to be an effective blocker as well as a receiving threat, as Michigan should have the best tight end room in the Big Ten.

One characteristic about Barner that earns him a spot on this list is his leadership. He was a captain as a redshirt sophomore at Indiana. While Michigan football has many leaders on both sides of the ball, you can never have too much leadership on a championship-contending team.

Barner is going to play a big role this season. He may not put up elite numbers, but he’s going to do all of the things that don’t show up in the stat sheet. I expect him to make a big impact.

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