AJ Barner emboldened by close friendship with Colston Loveland, on and off the field
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.
