Indiana Football: The Most Painful Transfer Departures

AJ Barner: Tight End

It hurts anytime a player is drafted after wearing another uniform. According to AJ Barner, he transferred to Michigan because he wanted to compete for and win a National Championship. It's hard to blame him, considering the turnaround in Ann Arbor. However, for programs like Indiana, losing talent like Barner is difficult to overcome.

He mentioned during his pro day that winning a title, not NIL, was the deciding factor. "It was really — you know, I wanted to go somewhere and compete for a national championship, I wanted to go somewhere to win and I wanted to go somewhere to be challenged every single day," Barner said. "Michigan checked all the boxes. I think, my personality, I'm a blue-collar, disciplined kid. I fit right in with the winged helmet."

Barner flashed at times in Bloomington, with his best season coming in 2022. While he did not put up gaudy numbers in 2023, his ability to block and perform at a high level in a pro-style offense put Barner on the radar of many NFL scouts.

Barner had a tremendous draft process, including a solid combine, and the Seattle Seahawks selected him in the fourth round. It would have been nice for those accolades to come while he was in an Indiana uniform.