AJ Barner and Erick All: Tight ends on different paths, but both built by U-M coaching

INDIANAPOLIS — Both scheduled for Podium 8, located on the far wall of Hall J on the first floor of the Indiana Convention Center, they went one after the other.

Andrew Frank Barner (better known as AJ) and Erick All − the former a tight end who transferred to Michigan, the latter a tight end who transferred from Michigan − both addressed media for interviews on Day 2 of the NFL combine, having taken somewhat parallel, yet simultaneously perpendicular, paths to get there.

Barner's journey began as an under-recruited tight end from Aurora, Ohio, a suburb southeast of Cleveland. He went to Indiana University (one of his two Power Five offers out of high school) for his first three college three seasons, then transferred to Michigan for his final year.

INDY 'FEELS LIKE SCHEMBECHLER HALL': Michigan football players everywhere at NFL combine

Over those four years (counting this season), IU went 15-29. During his lone year at Michigan, he went 15-0.

"You plan it out one way, you think you're going to go to Indiana your whole career, have a great career, be the best to ever play there," Barner said. "I could never have imagined it would end up like this but I'm super fortunate for everything I've gone through, my journey.

"I'm not even reaching my potential yet. ... I think my best days are ahead of me."

Then, there's the flip side. All grew up in Fairfield, Ohio, just north of Cincinnati, where he emerged as a four-star recruit and one of the top 12 tight ends in the nation, according to 247Sports Composite rankings.

He committed to Michigan and during his time in Ann Arbor, he developed into an honorable mention All-Big Ten tight end, shared the team's offensive skill player of the year honor (2021), and was voted a captain ahead of the 2022 season.

'TOUGH AS NAILS': How Michigan football LBs Junior Colson, Michael Barrett persevere for NFL dream

As a junior, he helped U-M win its first Big Ten title in 17 years, but he played just three games his senior season − after he was sent to Lucas Oil Stadium as a team representative at Big Ten Media Days − before he shut down his campaign with a back injury.

Michigan won another Big Ten title and again went to the College Football Playoff, but All had already announced even if he could, he wouldn't be back. All didn't get into specifics on Thursday as to why, but did put to bed rumors that he was not going to be green-lighted by doctors to play for the Wolverines.

"I was medically cleared," he said. "It was tough. I was able to play, I just ended up having to make a decision."

The senior got surgery shortly before Halloween to repair a herniated disc, then began his rehab before he decided he would follow his roommate, Cade McNamara, a fellow captain at U-M during the 2022-23 season, to Iowa.

However, unlike Barner with his transfer, All wouldn't get the storybook ending. One year after a season-ending back injury, All tore his ACL in the Hawkeyes seventh game of the season vs. Wisconsin. He finished as Iowa's leading receiver with 21 grabs for 299 yards and three touchdowns, despite his season ending early.

From there, one might imagine it was hard for All to watch his former teammates not just get back to the promised land, but this time complete the journey, but he said Thursday that was far from the case.

"Michigan obviously won the national championship, I loved every bit of it," All said. "I felt like I was there. I reached out to the guys, congratulated them. You know, I had a good season as well. Unfortunately, I got hurt, but you know I looked at it as a very sweet moment. I loved every minute of it."

All called his choice to transfer the toughest decision of his life, and his eyes appeared to well up with tears when he described the moment he had to tell his "brothers" he wasn't going to return.

'TURN ON THE TAPE': Michigan football DLs not worried about decreased numbers at NFL combine

A captain, chosen by them to lead, he felt they might see it as a betrayal. It couldn't have gone more differently.

"I felt like I was turning my back on my teammates, but they were all there for me," he said. "My brothers, I talk to a lot of them today. They had my back, made sure I was good. I love Michigan."

That's why it's easy for All to look back without regret, coupled with the coaches who played a role in his development. His first tight ends coach? New U-M head coach Sherrone Moore. His next? Jay Harbaugh, now special teams coordinator for the Seahawks. His final position coach in Ann Arbor? Grant Newsome, who was recently promoted to offensive line coach.

SHERRONE'S TME: Sherrone Moore introduced as Michigan football coach a moment 2 decades in the making

"I was a tight end who lined up off the ball and ran a route. … so they pretty much taught me everything a tight end needs to know," All said. " Coach Moore, he was the type of dude who was a perfectionist. You had to do everything perfect. Coach Jay, he’s strategic. Taught you all the little things from the defensive side of the ball.

"G-News, he was a great offensive lineman at Michigan. He taught me everything with blocking, the footwork in pass-pro. I just felt like the variety of coaches at Michigan helped me out a lot and just propelled me."

That's exactly what Barner was counting on when he transferred to Michigan. Thursday he was asked about what role U-M's NIL played in his decision to go there before he chuckled and said it wasn't a factor at all. His thought process was to compete for a national championship, win, and be challenged every single day; three boxes checked by Michigan.

He referred back to his time in Bloomington when he was seen as a limited tight end that was as a threat in the passing game, but underdeveloped as a run blocker. Fast-forward just more than a year later and he graded out statistically as the best blocking tight end in America, per Pro Football Focus.

He also caught 22 passes for 249 yards and a score and though he could have returned to Ann Arbor, enters the draft process as one of the more well-rounded, and unheralded tight ends in the class.

"I think being able to do both is a big strength of mine that over my time in college I was able to develop," Barner said. "I felt like 'Why not just go to the NFL?' I'm 21 years old, not put another year of college football on my body."

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: How Michigan football prepared two tight end transfers for NFL success