Zeke Berry is one of the players who could benefit from the opening in Michigan’s defensive secondary caused by Rod Moore’s injury and Mike Sainristil’s exit.
As a former four-star prospect, Berry has made 13 appearances in 13 games throughout his first two Wolverines seasons. He’s starting to show himself as a contender to take Sainristil’s spot at nickel and contribute crucial snaps at safety as his junior season draws closer.
“Zeke Berry is a guy who, in my opinion, has truly stepped up. Zeke Berry will be a special guy for us here, in my opinion,” defensive backs coach LaMar Morgan stated this week. “He still needs to grow as a young man, yet he already possesses many of those qualities. .. Mike won’t be able to replace Zeke’s ball skills and other abilities easily, but I think he’s done a great job of being a guy we can move around at different locations. Hopefully, he has a great spring and performs well in the fall.”
Naturally, nobody was cheering for Moore to sustain a serious knee injury during spring training. It was described by Berry as a “sad moment for all the DBs.” But that, along with Keon Sabb’s Transfer Portal move to Alabama, made Michigan’s defensive depth considerably less than anticipated.
“With Keon departing and then Rod, it’s given me an opportunity to play on the field much more than I have previously. I’m going to take advantage of this opportunity and not let it pass me by,” Berry declared.
Berry acknowledged that he has been representing both nickel and safety. As long as he is on the field when it matters, he doesn’t really care where he plays.
Additionally, he is trying to replicate the material and immaterial components of his performance that made Sainristil—a two-time captain who produced a number of moves that changed games—so unique. That means, as Berry explained, “being loud, being a dominant player, and being a leader.”
“Aim to lead like Mike did the previous year. Attempt to lead by example on the field,” Berry said. “You are aware of everyone’s position on the field as well as their actions. After that, you must move quickly. You need to be proficient with the ball and all related aspects.”
Even though Michigan’s national title defense against Fresno State starts on August 31, Berry says he’s glad his efforts over the previous two years are starting to be seen by the general public.
“It felt good hearing my name finally being talked about more,” he stated. “I put a lot of work in this offseason and now in the spring, so hearing that from one of the coaches makes me feel a lot better about myself.”
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