The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1451622
2022 FOOTBALL RECRUITING ISSUE 42 THE WOLVERINE MARCH 2022 BY EJ HOLLAND It can get a little bit chilly in the Bay Area, especially near the sandy shores of Ghirardelli Square in downtown San Francisco. On300 Concord (Calif.) De La Salle defensive back Zeke Berry lives about 30 miles away from the chocolate capi- tal of the West Coat. But as he quickly learned, there is a huge difference be- tween a beach breeze and gusts of snow. Berry endured the coldest weather he's ever experienced in his life when he took an official visit to Michigan in Novem- ber and watched the Wolverines knock off rival Ohio State for the first time in a decade. "The biggest thing I had to adjust to was the weather," Berry said. "It was su- per cold when I got there. But other than that, seeing the facilities and the school was great. The coaches and people all made it a great experience. "Just seeing them beat Ohio State after a certain amount of years, the joy on the coaches' and players' faces was a crazy experience." Berry was part of a talented group of recruits that stormed the field following the victory. The experience eventually led to signing of Berry and fellow top- 100 defensive back Keon Sabb, giving the Wolverines arguably the best secondary haul in the nation — one that also in- cludes five-star prospect Will Johnson, who also relished in the postgame cel- ebration. Berry, the No. 146 overall prospect in the country per the On3 Consensus, committed to Michigan shortly follow- ing his visit, siding with U-M over fellow finalist Oregon. Berry initially gave a ver- bal pledge to Arizona early in the process but ultimately decided he wanted to do something different. The California native especially no- ticed the disparity between Michigan and the Pac-12 during his stay in Ann Arbor. "It was different than my Pac-12 vis- its," he said. "They handle things dif- ferent — from the way they watch film to the team bonding to the coaching to the atmosphere. It's crazy how they do things differently than the Pac-12. That's why Michigan got that win over Ohio State Despite the weather and the snow, the coaching staff is incredible. I feel like I would play really well in the Big Ten." Berry was one of the most versatile defensive back prospects nationally this recruiting cycle. While starring at powerhouse De La Salle, Berry played everything from cornerback to safety to nickel to linebacker. He also played running back, wide receiver and quar- terback, and returned kicks and punts. While he missed some time due to injury, Berry finished his senior cam- paign with 35 tackles, three sacks and one interception in seven games, and was named the All-American Bowl De- fensive Player of the Year. To say De La Salle defensive coordi- nator Nathan Kenion had fun finding ways to utilize Berry on the back end would be an understatement. "He's a super dynamic, explosive and talented player," Kenion said. "I thought he was a top athlete in this class. Period. He can cover like a corner. He can hit like a linebacker. He has the range of a safety. This year, we allowed him to do so many different things. He even blitzed from the defensive end spot. He also blitzed from the nickel and cor- ner spot. He covered as a nickel, backer, safety and corner. We used him in the deep middle. Versatile Zeke Berry Can Impact Michigan Defense In Many Ways 2022 Projection Berry projects to play a similar role as Daxton Hill in Michigan's defense. With Hill off to the NFL, Berry has all the athletic traits needed to take over the spot as a freshman. However, the versatile, twitchy player won't enroll until the sum- mer, which puts him at a disadvantage compared to veteran defensive backs on the roster who are fighting to fill in for Hill. With his natural ability, Berry should be able to make up that ground quickly, but his path to early playing time will depend on how fast he can learn the playbook and adjust to the speed of the college game. Berry did it all, on offense and defense, for powerhouse De La Salle, which played for the CIF State NorCal D-1 state title each year he was in school. PHOTO BY EJ HOLLAND