Later this month, Minnesota will be heading to Houston to play Texas Tech in the Meineke Car Care Bowl of Texas. As it turns out, one former Gopher will be making the trip as well, although not with the team and he’ll be staying beyond just a few days.
Per the Pioneer-Press, ex-UM receiver A.J. Barker will be transferring to Houston and will receive a scholarship. Last month, Barker announced he was leaving the team and wrote a lengthy blog post alleging mistreatment by head coach Jerry Kill. That post has since been removed (and replaced with an amazing GIF). Kill has denied any mistreatment and says he wished he had a chance to speak with Barker before he left the team.
Despite being the Gophers’ leading receiver this year (30 catches for 577 yards and seven touchdowns), Barker was still a walk-on. That, along with the treatment he received after an ankle injury, was among the many issues Barker had with Kill. Because he was not on scholarship, Barker will not have to sit out a season in the transfer process.