Name: Karsen Barnhart
Height: 6’5″
Weight: 308 lbs.
High school: Paw Paw (MI) Paw Paw
Position: Offensive tackle
Class: Redshirt junior
Jersey number: #52
Last year: I ranked Barnhart #24a and said he would be the starting right tackle (LINK). He started two games at left guard.
TTB Rating: 86
For the second year in a row, Barnhart served as Michigan's extra lineman. He's a utility man who can start at either tackle or either guard spot. When he was a redshirt freshman in 2020, he got a bunch of playing time on a bad offensive line. Last year he played left guard when Trevor Keegan couldn't go, but he also was a backup tackle in blowouts. Barnhart has not really left an indelible mark as a beast of a player just waiting to break out of his cage, but he has been solid and has a good athletic profile to be "next."
Last year's pure blocking tight end, sixth lineman Trente Jones, is likely to start at right tackle now that Andrew Stueber has moved on to the NFL. I will be curious to see if Barnhart takes on Jones's role as a blocking tight end, or if the staff will simply let the tight ends handle the tight end role, since the tight end room is so stacked with talent. Regardless of whether Barnhart is a blocking tight end or just the backup at guard/tackle, he's going to play a lot. And when 2023 rolls around, he will probably have a starting role somewhere along the line.
Prediction: Backup offensive lineman
What an intriguing career. This dude saw the field in, 2019 as a TrFR ... yeah, it was MidTennSt, but for an OL that young to get PT shows a flash of potential
ReplyDeleteHere we are in his (Academic) Senior year, and he's not a starter. Most othe cases , we might say this is a disappointment, but attentive fans should appreciate the development of the OL as a group
Between backing up 4 spots and playing the blocking TE role, there's a high chance of KB starting games in 2022. Even if he doesn't do all that stuff, the 6th OL will, in most seasons, see a bunch of meaningful downs.
ReplyDeleteKB might not be listed as a starter but he maybe the most important backup on offense - though I'm sure most would say McCarthy or Edwards or even Schoonmacher - IMO KB is more likely to start and play a full game all the way through.