Early Signing Day 2024: Texas A&M Football Signs TE Eric Karner

Texas A&M Football Inks Signature from Out of State Tight End Eric Karner

Eric Karner is one of the less-heralded players in this signing class for Texas A&M football, but is a very intriguing prospect. Out of Elmhurst, IL, he’s well outside the normal recruiting footprint for the Aggies, but he’s a guy that never really wavered once he committed to Texas A&M football, even through a coaching change.

Standing at 6’5”, 220 LBs, Karner has a great frame for a tight end prospect. He’ll need to add some good weight to his frame to be a big time contributor for the Aggies, but I don’t anticipate that will be much of an issue.

Karner was originally committed to Purdue, but when SEC offers began rolling in, he took a step back from his verbal pledge to the Boilermakers. He visited schools such as Michigan State and Florida, but less than a week after his official visit to Texas A&M, he had committed to the Aggies. The previous staff were decisive in getting this recruitment locked down in short order.

The intriguing thing about Karner is his pass-catching ability. Normally, with a lower-rated tight end prospect like this, you’re looking at a guy who’s primarily a blocker, but Karner has great ball skills and essentially played wideout in high school. He could contribute in the passing game quickly, but I imagine that Collin Klein would want Karner to be a bit more physically developed before he puts him out there at the TE spot.

Overall, Karner is an intriguing signing for the Aggies. I’m excited to see how he develops as the years go on, and anticipate that he will start seeing the field in his sophomore year or so after taking a year to learn from guys like Donovan Green and Theo Ohrstrom.