Hello: Zeke Berry
The first of our catch-up Hello posts begins with the one of the most recent, and third most highly rated recruit in the class, 4* California S Zeke Berry. Michigan earned Berry's commitment last Friday after he visited for The Game, and Berry represents one of the first commitments the Wolverines have really earned as a result of this B1G Championship season. Berry was initially an Arizona commit who opened things up in October and seemed to be destined for Oregon, but Michigan kept plugging away down the stretch and sealed the deal with their win over Ohio State.
GURU RATINGS
Rivals: 5'11/196 | ESPN: 6'0/195 | 247: 6'0/195 | On3: 6'0/196 | 247 Comp: |
---|---|---|---|---|
4*, 5.8, #250 OVR |
4*, #283 OVR |
4*, 94, #64 OVR |
4*, 96, #59 OVR |
4*, 0.9120, #226 OVR |
4.05 | 4.10 | 4.57 | 4.80 | 4.12 |
Bottom row is Seth's conversion to the five star scale. Links are to profiles
ESPN and Rivals are in the same ballpark with Berry, but 24/7 and On3 are noticeably higher on him, starting to border on five-star status in On3's case. This makes for this an interesting split: two sites that see Berry as a legit 4.5*, top 100 guy, and then two that have him more as a back-end top 300, normal 4*. We'll try to investigate this discrepancy as we go along, but either way, Berry is a highly coveted recruit.
Berry is set to play in the All-American Bowl in San Antonio and the Polynesian Bowl in Hawaii in the next month. Berry ran track in HS and has also played on both sides of the ball, both as a WR and as a DB but everyone sees him playing on defense in college.
[Hit the jump for the scouting and video]
SCOUTING
As you may expect for a prospect of Zeke Berry's caliber, and one coming from a school that is as successful at football as De La Salle is, there's quite a lot of scouting out there. We'll start with 247's national crew, who shared their takes when Berry committed last week. Chris Singletary highlights Berry's two-way game but clearly projects a position for him in college:
This two-way talent is one of the best athletes in the country. Utilizing very good overall athleticism, Berry is a promising prospect. On the defensive side at safety, where he will play on the collegiate level, you see all the traits
In the footage we have of Berry in HS, safety was his most frequent defensive position, but he did play corner a good bit too. That versatility in the defensive backfield is something Cooper Petegna pointed out in that same piece:
Can do a little bit of everything and can be deployed in a variety of ways. He has the ability to play the deep hash, in the box, or as a match defender at the line of scrimmage. Plays with excellent instincts and feel in coverage and as a run support defender
Greg Biggins' piece on 247 pools together what the scouting brain trust at that site really thinks, and highlights the way that Berry playing WR on offense has helped him develop plus-ball skills for a DB ($):
In the secondary, he can play safety or corner depending on the need and/or scheme. He’s built like a safety with a thick frame and is very physical but has a corner skill set in terms of his twitch, cover instincts and ball skills. He has excellent ball awareness, is physical on press coverage and closes very well on the football ... He’s tough and plays with a nice edge in his game and like all players that come out of the Spartan program, his football IQ is very high
That same piece notes that Berry flew up 247's board this fall after watching his senior tape, from the mid-220s (where Rivals and ESPN still have him) into the top 100. The same thing happened over at On3 ($):
“Berry makes a big jump from No. 157 to 59 with terrific senior tape,” Senior Recruiting Analyst Gerry Hamilton said. “The 6-foot, 185-pounder is an all-around safety that is as adept as a downhill striker, as he is with range in coverage. More than a downhill striker, Berry excels in tackling in the open field. His ability to open up and run makes covering from hash mark to boundary simple. When it comes time to make plays on the ball, the four-star flashes ideal timing, and finishing ball skills"
Berry is a prospect whose scouting report is scant on negatives, something mentioned in write ups by both national 247 writers and EJ Holland himself. Berry seems to have the size and athleticism to play for a top ten program like Michigan, has pedigree and intangibles coming from a national powerhouse, and is extremely versatile, with the ability to play everything in the defensive backfield from nickel to corner to FS to SS.
If that description sounds vaguely familiar, it's because it should resemble that of one Daxton Hill on the current Michigan squad, or Jabrill Peppers from a bygone era. Michigan sees him, according to multiple articles by different insiders, as a versatile safety who is a swiss army knife on the defense in the mold of Hill/Peppers, just one who isn't freakishly athletic. Tanner Wooten of Maize and Blue Review made the same connection I did while watching his senior tape on Hudl:
The second play of his mid-year senior highlights show Berry blitzing from his corner spot and it’s hard to not be reminded of (Daxton) Hill’s devastating sack from the Wisconsin game that knocked Badgers QB Graham Mertz out of the game.
Go down to the embedded senior video, watch the second play, and then re-watch this:
Pretttttty similar.
OFFERS
Berry received offers from Michigan, Arizona, Oregon, Oregon State, Pitt, Arizona State, Cal, Colorado, Indiana, Louisville, Minnesota, SDSU, Syracuse, Tennessee, UCLA, USC, Utah, Washington, and Washington State. Basically, the entire PAC-12 and then occasional schools in the Midwest. He took official visits to those first five, and as mentioned previously, was an Arizona decommit who held a final top two of Michigan and Oregon. This was a guy a lot of teams wanted.
HIGH SCHOOL
Berry plays at De La Salle High School in Concord, CA, which is in the Bay Area for those curious. De La Salle is a Catholic school that is known for its football team, so much so that it is literally the first thing on their Wikipedia page:
They play Division 1-AA and have won just about everything under the sun the last 25 years, so their loss in the first round of the playoffs last weekend was reported in local papers as "stunning". As you may expect, De La Salle has produced plenty of NFL players over the years, including Maurice Jones-Drew, Austin Hooper, and TJ Ward. Michigan and Jim Harbaugh are no stranger to recruiting out of De La Salle, since Devin Asiasi hailed from that school six years ago, even if that one didn't work out in the long term.
STATS
Zeke was a two way player in HS, and he managed to throw a pass, receive a pass, rush the football, record a sack, and record an INT all in the same season(!). On offense as a senior, Berry rushed 31 times for 268 yards, caught two passes for 11 yards, and threw three passes for 141 yards and a TD. On defense as a senior, he recorded 25 tackles, three sacks, and a lone interception.
FAKE 40 TIME
Not very FAKE, because we have a time that is independently "verified" from The Opening Regional in November of 2020, which clocked in at 4.55, listed on his 247 page. I couldn't find any other times, and there's nothing listed on his Hudl.
VIDEO
Here's his midseason highlight footage, featuring clips from offense, defense, and special teams:
If you watch long enough you see a play where he's recreating the Donovan Edwards -> Roman Wilson pass, with Berry playing the Edwards part.
If you want a short and sweet taste of what his defensive highlights look like, you can watch this 15 second clip from his Twitter:
NOT HERE! ? pic.twitter.com/IVWyJkP7fK
— zeke berry (@BerryZeke) October 11, 2021
Spoiler: it's mostly him closing on guys and thumping them.
ETC
Ran track and also played baseball in the spring, in addition to his three-phase performances for the football team. Kid likes to play sports! Seemed to be attracted to UM's academics, in addition to football.
PREDICTION BASED ON FLIMSY EVIDENCE
Berry is a prospect that I'm pretty high on. He does not have Dax or Jabrill athleticism (hence why he's not a five star), but Berry is definitely athletic. His closing speed on tape is impressive, and the way he crunches players when he goes to hit has some shades of Khaleke Hudson as well. Mike Macdonald seems to have an affinity for versatile DBs that can be moved all over to fit his matchup-dependent game plans (Rod Moore seems to already be the next in line to the Dax throne). Berry would slot in behind Moore in that lineage. I tend to side more with 247/On3 on this one, Berry looks much more like a high 4* than a "back end of the top 300" type of guy, with all the attributes he brings and the raw athleticism. Him being a late riser who improved over his HS career is also a nice sign.
I discussed this briefly in my broad recruiting update yesterday, but after Michigan went the last couple Zordich years scrounging for athletic DBs, to have a guy like Berry and a Will Johnson in this class is a welcome sight. The CB room is going to be rather crowded next season (Gray, Turner, Green all likely to return + adding Johnson, Pollard and maybe Jones), but there should be some room open at safety. Brad Hawkins is likely graduating after 17 years at Michigan, and Dax Hill has an NFL decision to make, which, given his first round projections, proooobably isn't going in Michigan's favor (hey, maybe he pulls an Olave and we get to be happy!). In that case, Moten and Rod Moore are probably your starting safeties, with Makari Paige, Quinten Johnson, and Jordan Morant after that. Still, a guy like Berry could easily see the field pretty quickly with his projectable athleticism, maybe not on defense but probably on special teams. Having depth is a good thing and Berry will only enrich that.
UPSHOT FOR THE REST OF THE CLASS
You can go read my piece from yesterday if you want a more detailed look at the class, but Berry is currently the fifth DB in the class, joining Johnson, Pollard, Jones, and Damani Dent. Michigan is the leader for S Keon Sabb, who would make it six and be a huge addition. If they get Sabb, then the DB class is done, as Michigan will have nabbed three corners and three safeties. Keeping Kody Jones in the class will remain a battle, but with or without him, DB is probably the strength of this class overall, and the exciting nature of Berry as a prospect is a big reason why.
December 8th, 2021 at 4:10 PM ^
Random note. On the Guru Ratings chart would it be possible maybe to reverse the coloring of the 247 Composite and I'm assuming the eventual On3 Composite (they said one is coming soon)? Right now it appears as a Guru rank, when in actuality it's a bit different, they're an average of the numbers that already are noted to it's left.
I guess in my mind's eye, I see the "Guru" rating as someone(s) have looked at this kid and here is their opinion of what he is. (duh) The composite is a weighted average of those thoughts (247 weights itself more I'm pretty sure), and not an actual additional evaluation. I like the Composite score, and will like to see the On3 Composite score eventually added. Just maybe if they're moved down a line or flipped in color (Maize background header, Blue text) then it'll read a bit differently.
Just a thought.
December 8th, 2021 at 4:15 PM ^
Also, I suspect there is some grade inflation going on with the On3 ratings. Berry being 0.23 stars better on On3 than on 247 when they have practically the same ranking for him doesn't make sense.
December 8th, 2021 at 4:18 PM ^
Based on reading the On3 site, they just REALLY like Berry. It's Rivals that has been slow to come around on him. Also, I don't think the 247 Composite includes On3 right now (I could be wrong on this).
December 8th, 2021 at 5:20 PM ^
On3 has a composite it's called On3 Consensus. The Comp doesn't include 247, you're right. I'm not sure if Alex reads his comments though. I don't recall him commenting before.
December 8th, 2021 at 5:58 PM ^
Nice, must have missed that update. When I checked earlier in the year they hadn't rolled it out yet.
As for Alex, I'll send him a certified letter then. Maybe hit him up on his tiktoks.
December 8th, 2021 at 4:12 PM ^
Another familiar De La Salle name is Matt Gutierrez. Gutierrez actually pitched in to help recruit Berry:
December 8th, 2021 at 4:17 PM ^
No Amani Toomer? No Cam Colvin? (lol)
DLS alum need to pick it up!
December 8th, 2021 at 4:36 PM ^
Amani Toomer. For the kids:
December 8th, 2021 at 6:05 PM ^
Do the kids not know Amani Toomer? If this is true, as Michael Jordan likes to say regularly, 'f^ck them kids.'
Yes, Desmond won the Heisman. And Derrick was a gamebreaker in his own right. To me, Amani Toomer ushered in the modern era of Michigan WRs. Esp because DA got injured and never was peak DA until after Desmond left, Toomer and Mercury Hayes were our first truly deadly WR tandem of my Michigan football watching lifetime. Toomer would lead to Terrell would lead to Braylon would lead to Arrington, etc. All these big 6'3 rangy "modern" targets for our pocket passing QBs to find.
God I loved Amani Toomer.
December 8th, 2021 at 6:58 PM ^
Amani ... Well Dressed ... Toomer
If it's really about teaching the kids.
December 8th, 2021 at 9:16 PM ^
Oh man. The nostalgia!
The horrible uniforms of the 1990s... especially Illinois, Northwestern, Indiana, and Minnesota
The giant shoulder pads
Todd Collins. Elvis Grbac. Wheatley and Biakabutuka! Mercury Hayes!
Keith Jackson and vintage Musberger on the calls
The marshmallows in the end zone!!!
December 9th, 2021 at 10:48 AM ^
Good memories! Amani Toomer, Mercury Hayes, Jeremy Tuman... Strong receiving corps back then.
December 8th, 2021 at 4:51 PM ^
Good to hear Matt Gutierrez is helping out. I really thought he was going to be special as John Navarre's successor, but that bum shoulder and Chad Henne playing like a champ changed everything. A nice guy too based on my "cool story, bro" moment involving him: I worked at the Fish Bowl as a consultant (i.e. one of those guys sitting in the middle of the area who would load paper in the printers, help out with basic computer issues, etc) and one night in the early months of 2004, he came up to me freaking out because Word had crashed on him as he was about to print out a term paper and he wasn't sure if he had saved the final version. This was when there was no separate academic building for athletics, so all the varsity sports study hall periods were in the Fish Bowl classrooms. I was able to recover that paper and he was extremely thankful and humble about it and even shook my hand. I guess it was that important a paper. I'm happy to hear that he's still supporting Michigan.
December 8th, 2021 at 6:08 PM ^
I remember showing up to the bar for that first game of the 04 season vs Miami, all excited to see the new Gutierrez era ushered in. But nope, it was Henne, as true frosh on day one running out and warming up.
I think somehow, and someone correct me if I'm wrong, Lloyd actually managed to keep the Gutz injury and Henne start under wraps until gametime.
December 9th, 2021 at 7:19 AM ^
That's correct. Me and everyone else sitting in the stadium that day were anxiously awaiting the beginning of the Guttierez era. And then they roll Henne out there and everyone collectively goes WTF??? Carr had kept an incredibly tight lid on the situation. I was disappointed for a long time because I thought Gutierrez had it all as a prospect. Playing for one of the premier programs in Cali, his team never lost a regular season game while he was QB. He had the size, the arm, and the football IQ to be the next great Michigan QB. I always thought we didn't bring him in enough to spell Henne, and maybe that helped lead to his transfer. Glad to hear he is still involved with helping Michigan.
December 8th, 2021 at 4:37 PM ^
Idk Alex, you keep saying he's not a "freakish athlete" like Jabrill or Dax, but he looks pretty freaking close to being one. A guy who is that fast who can hit that hard with that good of instincts and cover skills is pretty freakish
December 8th, 2021 at 4:57 PM ^
I take it as the difference between a 4.3X 40 and Zeke’s 4.55.
December 8th, 2021 at 5:05 PM ^
I guess, but Berry looks like he plays a lot faster than a 4.55
December 8th, 2021 at 10:31 PM ^
That could be the difference between a FAKE 4.3 and a real 4.55.
December 9th, 2021 at 8:39 AM ^
Dax was like a 99th percentile SPARQ score guy, though. In terms of safeties in his class, Dax had the best 40 (4.3), best vertical, and best overall SPARQ rating. In essence, Dax was *the best athlete* at the S position in his class.
That doesn't factor in football IQ, cover skills, ball skills, etc. It's just athleticism. Dax and Peppers are/were at another level as recruits.
None of this is to suggest that Berry is *bad* as an athlete. He's just not in that tippy-top echelon of dudes.
December 9th, 2021 at 10:31 AM ^
And truthfully, when it comes to recruiting you have to walk the tightrope of athleticism vs football player... the game is littered with great athletes that can't make a play and guys who are considered less than athletes but are top end football players... recruiting *s are for measurables and what camps you PAY to attend.
December 9th, 2021 at 12:32 PM ^
Right. You can thrive as a 4.5 safety if you know where to be and where to go, and take good routes and angles.
If you can do all of those things AND run a 4.3, you're Dax.
December 9th, 2021 at 11:00 AM ^
Some Peppers numbers from his 40 yd dash at the combine, including 10 and 20 yd splits. Percentiles are relative to his size (6'1" 213):
40 Yd 4.46 sec 87.6 pct
20 Yd 2.62 sec 74.5 pct
10 Yd 1.54 sec 87.7 pct
Berry probably can't match that 40 time, but I wouldn't be surprised if he has a similar 10 yd split. That explosiveness is what is evident on film and is highly relevant to playing HSP/nickel.
December 8th, 2021 at 4:45 PM ^
WOW. This defensive class is absolutely loaded. Clink and Bellamy have a lot to work with, and Mac will be able to get even more creative with blitzes. Love it!
Kody Jones--Mac and Clink have plans for you...we need 5 DBs on the field and you have a role, not to mention that you could be a huge contributor on offense and special teams. Come be the next Charles Woodson!
Hope to see a few impact additions on the other side of the ball by ESD.
December 9th, 2021 at 10:08 AM ^
This seems to be the key point: the upgrade in DB performance this year has been remarkable under Clinkscale. Looking forward to seeing how he develops this class, especially if we land some high-end talent in the closing days.
December 8th, 2021 at 5:18 PM ^
Alex, great writeup. One recommendation, we should use the On3 Consensus going forward in lieu of the 247 Comp. The Comp doesn't include On3 in the rating so it is no longer a composite.
Also, if you don't subscribe to 247 they won't let you see the end of your post as it just has sign up info on it.
December 8th, 2021 at 6:57 PM ^
Welcome to Michigan, Zeke. Such a cool name!
December 9th, 2021 at 9:33 AM ^
Berry.
I see we're continuing the recent tradition of recruiting hobbits from the Shire.
December 8th, 2021 at 7:04 PM ^
I have watched this clip several times before. All you have to do is see the first two plays to know that you strongly prefer to play with this young man and not against him. The only question here is "Where do you play him?". The way he makes that kid miss him "in a phone booth" as an RB on that first play...wow-put him in the slot! Anyway-can't go wrong here...he looks like a five star to me.
December 8th, 2021 at 9:21 PM ^
This kid is going to be a star. Love his tape. More than Keon Sabb's I think
Fast enough if not quite blazing. Physical. Twitchy. Clearly has centerfield instincts but also the ability to play the slot CB well
If not Dax Hill/Peppers, he's 90% of the way there I think
December 8th, 2021 at 10:38 PM ^
Berry will be Hill, Sabb will be Peppers. Win/Win.
December 9th, 2021 at 10:50 AM ^
This is acceptable to me.
December 9th, 2021 at 10:53 AM ^
If we're doing 2016 metaphors, I'd go with Berry=Peppers and Sabb=Delano Hill
December 8th, 2021 at 10:41 PM ^
Gives me an Earl Thomas vibe. Small but able to be a plus run defender and the ability to raaaange in the back end.
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