TE Chris Barnett just left a message on his Twitter and Facebook account that he is no longer at the University of Michigan. Chris joined Michigan's 2011 class on signing day and was coming off a knee injury.
If Chris leaving happens to true, this would be 3 players gone from the 2011 class before a game is played.
It is now official, as U of M has confirmed his departure. This departure hurts next year due to depth. Ricardo Miller is now a TE, but he is a pass catching guy not exactly a blocking TE with his transformation from WR.
Brandon Moore hasn't really ever played at Michigan and will be a 5th year senior. After that it will be nothing but true freshman.
This departure confuses me because it seems Chris was trying to recruit other kids to Michigan and he seemed really interested in playing in Ann Arbor. He did have a strange recruitment when he was committed on and off to Arkansas and was connected to Baron Flenory, co-founder of Dallas-based New Level Athletics and BadgerSport Elite 7-on-7 camps that the NCAA is looking at in the Oregon" pay for recruits" allegations. Does his departure have anything to do with that? I don't know.
Chris signed with Michigan on National Signing Day in February.
This development might open a spot for 2012 recruit Ron Thompson.