Tag: Zeke Berry

Michigan player says Wink Martindale moving on from Texas debacle

Hopefully they learned from the film and then burned it. #GoBlue

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — No one was particularly surprised that Michigan football struggled offensively against Texas after seeing the Wolverines working in new personnel in Week 1. But the big surprise was how much the defense took a step back.

Though the entire defensive coaching staff had moved on to the NFL after the 2023 season, Michigan hired the architect of the scheme, Wink Martindale, to replace his acolyte Jesse Minter. Behind him, every assistant coach was a defensive coordinator at some point at the college level. So it was surprising to see the defense struggle to adjust when Texas found ways to poke holes in what the Wolverines were doing.

However, nickelback Zeke Berry says that Martindale wasn’t fazed by the loss and that he, along with the rest of the team, moves on.

“Everybody’s been having the same attitude towards what happened,” Berry said. “I mean, we’re gonna leave it in the past. A loss is a loss, but now we’re just going on to Arkansas State.”

But what was Martindale’s message to the defense after giving up 31 points to the Longhorns? After all, it could have been much worse, but Texas quit pressing once it had built what appeared to be an insurmountable lead.

“Just make sure that we play with the pillars that we do every day in practice and on game days,” Berry said. “It’s play with effort, block destruction, just things like that. Make sure we play how we play all the time.”

One of the four pillars of the Michigan football defense is ‘obnoxious communication’ but the Wolverines seemed constantly out of position, which didn’t help that the lack of fundamentals in tackling also came into play in Week 2.

But Berry says that they were still communicating, it’s just that everything didn’t work out.

“Not really. I mean, I feel in the field that we talked as much as we can,” Berry said. “Whenever we seen things that was out in the ordinary that we saw on film and stuff like that. But I feel like we did a good part.”

Sherrone Moore thinks he has a starter at CB2, breaks down safety depth

Good to see some of these young guys stepping up! #GoBlue

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — There are a few spots on the Michigan football roster that are question marks and while quarterback and wide receiver get the most attention, on defense, there’s really only one position that’s potentially concerning entering 2024.

The cornerback spot open opposite Will Johnson.

The thought in spring was that DJ Waller would fill that role but he unexpectedly transferred to Kentucky following the spring game. Michigan brought in two transfers over the summer in Aamir Hall from Albany and Ricky Johnson from UNLV — both starters at their former schools. But as it turns out, the likely starter is the one who is homegrown in sophomore Jyaire Hill.

“Yeah, right now it would be Jyaire,” Moore said. “Jyaire’s really taken hold of that position and doing a really good job. ‘Sug,’ he’s been phenomenal, tough, just a gritty dude. One of Kankakee’s finest. And he’s been great. So I think it would be him on Saturday that would line up across from Will Johnson.”

Safety has the opposite problem. There are so many players but just two positions on the field.

Moore broke down the depth and noted two players that have taken massive steps in fall camp who could end up being in rotation. And they’re not the two transfers, per see (Wes Walker and Jaden Mangham). Though both will likely be seen in rotation, two more homegrown talents have asserted themselves this fall, and Moore is excited to see their development.

“Right now, obviously, Makari’s been phenomenal. Quinten Johnson’s been great. But you’ve got Zeke Berry in there. You’ve got Wes Walker in there. You’ve got Jaden Mangham,” Moore said. “You’ve got Brandyn Hillman, who’s really, really taken his level of play to the next level because he’s got some elite traits and ability that people haven’t seen yet, and we’re super excited. It’s finally getting there for him. But him and a guy like Zeke Berry, who’s really all he needed was the confidence.

“And it would be funny because I’m talking to Rod, I’m talking to Will, I was like, ‘Who’s the guy in the background?’ And this was in the spring, like, Who are you guys most excited about?’ They said, ‘Zeke, Zeke.’ And to watch his evolution as a player, he’s made some plays in camp, just wild plays. And they’re like, yeah, that’s routine of his skill set. So he’s really stepped up. So that room’s super deep and ready for it.”

Berry shared with the media on Monday that he’s equally cross-training between nickel and safety. Does that mean we’ll see him move around or stick at one position? We’ll find out more on Saturday when Michigan hosts Fresno State for the season opener.

Michigan football nickel position has a favorite as a starter, but ‘it’s fluid’

There are a couple of options for #Michigan here. #GoBlue

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Taking over for Mike Sainristil, Michigan football’s standout nickelback the past two seasons, is easier said than done, but there are multiple players up for the challenge.

Though Ja’Den McBurrows had some time on task last year (particularly when Sainristil split out wide with star corner Will Johnson injured) the offseason has pointed to another player likely vying for that starting role: junior safety Zeke Berry.

Berry was impressive in the spring game but also showed prowess in Week 1 last year as a starting safety filling in for an injured Makari Paige. But he really flashed this offseason and has had many assuming that No. 10 will be called when the Wolverines take the field against Fresno State in Week 1 of the new season.

His defensive coordinator, Wink Martindale, also feels like Berry is in the running to start, but he’s not so fast to write that in pen. As Martindale sees it, fall camp will go much further than spring ball did to determining Sainristil’s replacement, and certainly the battle will open up to more than just Berry and McBurrows.

“I think that Zeke, come out of the spring was slotted with the first group but I think it’s fluid,” Martindale said. “As Sherrone always says with the depth chart, we’ll see as we go, as we progress. (McBurrows) and you get some other guys that we’ll look at there and we’re just a long way away from talking about any of those things of exactly where it’s at.”

One of the best ways to determine who will win the job is to understand what the people making the decisions are looking for.

Martindale isn’t just looking for leadership, but execution. The way he sees it, a nickel has to be able to work with the other position groups, but just as importantly, he has to finish plays.

“Well, I look, first of all, at someone who can communicate because when you’re the nickel, you do a lot of communicating with the safeties, the corners, the linebackers,” Martindale said. “Someone that knows the system. But the No. 1 trait is how well do you tackle? The coverages and everything else we’ll work through, with what they do and who you have there.

“And, I think an example, like when I was at Baltimore when Marlon Humphrey was coming to play nickel — and I’ll tell you right now, I think he was the best nickel in football, because he could tackle and he communicate. So it all depends on who comes out on top from training camp, so it’s still is a competition, which they all are.”

Berry was injured on the opening kickoff of Week 2 last year, so McBurrows (with 11 games played) has a much bigger sample size. Looking at last year’s PFF grades, the two weren’t particularly far apart when it came to tackling. McBurrows had an 83.9 grade while Berry rated 80.5. However, when it comes to coverage, McBurrows outshined Berry with a grade of 73.9 compared to 62.3. But players tend to ebb and flow, and Berry showed a lot of instinctual play in the spring game this past April.

Regardless, Michigan isn’t likely to name a starter before the season opener, so we’ll have to wait and see who will be working as the slot defensive back on August 31.

Two defensive backs standing out to Michigan football coach Sherrone Moore

These guys are gonna be stars — this year! #GoBlue

Despite losing so much personnel from last year’s national championship team, the Michigan football defense still figures to be loaded.

Kris Jenkins, Cam Goode, Braiden McGregor and Jaylen Harrell are gone, but with Mason Graham, Kenneth Grant, Derrick Moore and Josaiah Stewart, there’s still a lot to like up front. At linebacker, Ernest Hausmann and Maryland transfer Jaishawn Barham figure to be solid replacements for Junior Colson and Mike Barrett. And in the defensive backfield, Will Johnson may just be the best cornerback in the country.

But the defensive backfield isn’t without some drama. Star safety Rod Moore, who opted to come back for his senior year, tore his ACL at the start of spring practice. Makari Paige, back for a fifth-year, and sixth-year safety Quinten Johnson hold down the fort, but with Keon Sabb transferring to Alabama this offseason, the depth at the position is thinning.

One player who stood out this spring is junior Zeke Berry, who has particularly thrived in the Mike Sainristil role at nickel. Berry started in Week 1 last year but was injured on the opening kickoff in Week 2. While Berry has been working in that nickel back role, head coach Sherrone Moore noted (on the “In the Trenches” podcast) that no one will replicate what Sainristil did the past two years, but Berry has done more than a solid impression.

“We’ve got a lot of guys that left but we’ve got a lot of really good talent here,” Moore said. “And not gonna be anybody that’s gonna be like Mike because Mike. Mike’s different. But Zeke Berry, man, he’s had a heck of a spring. And he showed that potential last year and you can see flashes. And he started to put it together from a mental standpoint now and super excited for him. But he’s really done a heck of a job this spring.”

The other position under scrutiny is the cornerback opposite Will Johnson. With Josh Wallace gone to the NFL, the Wolverines appear to be honing in on sophomore DJ Waller, who brings size and athleticism to the role. But the other player to watch is fellow second-year corner Jyaire Hill.

Hill was impressive in the spring game, with the notable pass breakup on a perfectly placed ball thrown to Peyton O’Leary. Beyond that, he seemed instinctive and with a nose for the football.

Moore broke down why Hill could be a factor this year, noting that he’s gotten positive feedback on the sophomore from his entrenched star corner.

“That kid’s got immense talent to be as good as anybody,” Moore said. “I know I’ve talked to Will a couple times. ‘Sug,’ they call him ‘Sug,’ he calls himself ‘Sug’ — ‘Sug’ is gonna be good. This kid, he’s got length, he’s got speed, he’s got athleticism. He’s fearless. He’ll tackle, he will go make a play on the ball. He’s everything you want in a corner. So he’s just had a heck of a spring.”

Joel Klatt lists three Michigan football players that stood out in the spring game

Watch out for these three this fall. #GoBlue

Joel Klatt has seen a lot of Michigan football over the years, and he admits this year may be different — but still kind of the same.

On his post-spring game reaction video on the Wolverines, Klatt noted that while the coaching staff and personnel will look a lot different, the mission and tactics used to achieve said mission are the same.

There are some returning players expected to carry the load, such as Will Johnson, Kenneth Grant, Mason Graham, Colston Loveland and Donovan Edwards. But if the maize and blue want to return to the College Football Playoff and continue building on the past three years, some players previously unknown to the national audience will have to step up.

On Tuesday, Klatt shared three Michigan football players who could step up based on what he saw from the field on Saturday.

“Who are some of the guys that maybe you don’t know about that really impressed me on Saturday?” Klatt said. “On the edge, a guy named TJ Guy — not just a guy, but TJ Guy. A sack, good pressure throughout. A big reason they were successful was the fact that they could rotate throughout the defensive line, specifically at the edges. So TJ Guy in rotation is going to be important. Now is he going to be asked to be in a star, leading role, get 10 sacks? No. But if he’s a guy that can have production, can be on the field in critical moments against big opponents, that’s going to help them become a bigger defense overall, because then the starters — like Josaiah Stewart — won’t have to play the kinds of snaps he would otherwise have to play. So a guy like TJ Guy would be very important.

“How about Zeke Berry? He flashed in Saturday’s game. Coach Moore talked about it with me on the field. Charles Woodson was talking about it as well. He was constantly around the ball and he’s going to looking to fill that role that was left, a huge gaping hole by Mike Sainristil, who’s one of the best defenders not only on their team but in the country. I think towards the end, I would categorize him as the best defender on the best defense in college football. You’re gonna have to replace that guy. Zeke Berry made a lot of plays on that defense on Saturday and he’s a guy that they’ll really be looking to to be productive next year.

“On the offensive side, it’s going to be important that they have a second tight end. Because Colston Loveland is probably the best tight end in the country. They need a second because of their philosophy, their structure, the way they like to run offense. They want to be in 12 personnel — one back, two tight ends. So they need another tight end. Watch out for Marlin Klein. Marlin Klein is a guy that played a lot of soccer in his youth, is fairly new to football, so again, he’s perfect for this development structure that Michigan has. And grew up in Germany. He’s fast. He had four catches on Saturday. Didn’t really get out but they say he may be one of the fastest players on the team. His emergence will be huge. If you can flex out Colston Loveland and guy that can run 4..4, 4.35 in a guy like Marlin Klein? That’s dangerous! And that’s very dangerous in an offense that could feature a running quarterback.”

Michigan football injury updates after UNLV game

An update with a little inside info. #GoBlue

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Michigan football had a few players who didn’t see game time once again with Rod Moore and Makari Paige both out in the Week 2 win over UNLV.

While there was some sparing play a week ago by Paige, he wasn’t dressed in uniform for the contest on Saturday. Moore was, and he warmed up, but he did not see any playing time.

After the game, Michigan acting head coach in the first half, Jay Harbaugh, who is also their position coach at safety, said the two should be ready to go next week, but it’s still a wait-and-see scenario.

“Yeah, Rod and Makari, they’re coming along,” Harbaugh said. “They’ve been practicing and I think we should have a good shot at them being available for this next game.

“Them being out is a blessing for some of the other guys just to be able to get in there and get some live action, maybe even before they’re fully ready. So you just get better so much faster when you do get in the games and you’re able to coach up those live reps. So really, I’ve been pretty pleased with them but still a ton of stuff to clean up.”

The Wolverines exited the game with minimal injuries, but a late hit out of bounds on backup quarterback Jack Tuttle cut his day short. Second-half acting head coach Mike Hart said Tuttle could have returned, but the maize and blue held him out for precautionary reasons.

“Oh, he’s good. He hit out of bounds late over there,” Hart said. “He was throwing he wanted to go back in and we weren’t putting it back in. No, it’s just not worth it. Right? I mean, I think that at the end of the day, the health of the kid is best. And I think if the kid gets knocked down over there, you don’t know what’s happening. So let it heal up in but as far as medically, he’s good to go. And he wanted to go back in the game.”

WolverinesWire can confirm, according to one person who spoke on the condition of anonymity, that Tuttle had a brief shoulder issue, but he’s back to full health.

There was one other player who participated in only one play, safety Zeke Berry. Berry saw his first extended action last week, but only one snap on Saturday: the opening kickoff.

After the opening play of the game, his teammates were calling for the team trainers as Berry limped back toward the bench area. He did not return.

Up next, Michigan football will take on Bowling Green in Week 3, which will be a 7:30 p.m. EDT kickoff at The Big House. That game will be broadcast on Big Ten Network.

5 Michigan football players whose stock is rising after the spring game

Wouldn’t be surprised if by the season’s end, these guys are mainstays. #GoBlue

The dust has settled now that the Michigan football annual spring game is a week behind us. There’s nothing on-field until the team officially readies itself for the 2023 season in fall camp in August.

But there are some players who could find themselves seeing more action on the field sooner than later.

There were a handful of players who made some strong impressions in the spring game who will either play big roles and be big factors or at least could find themselves contributing in ways they hadn’t before.

Here are five Wolverines we feel have a shot to make an impact in 2023 based off what we saw in the spring game.

What Jay Harbaugh sees from young, stud defensive backs

Can’t wait to see how these guys develop! #GoBlue

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Michigan’s secondary has been a pleasant surprise thus far in 2022, but there’s still a lot of potential biding its time, waiting its turn.

The Wolverines brought in a stellar defensive back class in 2022, and while we’ve seen cornerback Will Johnson make an early impact, unsurprising for a five-star, it may be a while yet before we get to see some of the other talented players in the secondary.

Keon Sabb was once a five-star who was committed to Clemson. His star-ranking fell before he flipped to Michigan just before signing day last year, but he has that type of potential. Kody Jones was a four-star from Tennessee, a good get, considering SEC schools were working to flip him throughout his process. Myles Pollard was just a three-star, also from Tennessee, but he had offers from nearly every powerhouse school in the country, including the top schools in the SEC. And Zeke Berry committed the day before the Big Ten Championship game, and has an extremely high ceiling.

We’ve seen each of these players late in the first three games, but not enough to really get a taste of their capability. Safeties coach Jay Harbaugh shared what he’s seen from these players as they work through their development. There’s still some work to go before they’re viable, but Harbaugh is pleased with where each of them are at this juncture.

“Those guys are doing a great job,” Harbaugh said. “Guys like Keon and Zeke, and Myles and Kody, they’re doing phenomenal and growing and getting better. And just really getting comfortable with the schemes, understanding the calls, the adjustments, being able to line up quickly and use their tools in terms of what adjustments they should be playing. So those guys are doing a really good job and taking a real pride and their growth from Monday to Thursday, even if they’re not really getting as much action during the games. And when you keep stacking weeks like that, it’s pretty, pretty crazy how much better you can get by the middle of your freshman year, the end of your freshman year, etc. So really pleased with them.”

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Berry is particularly intriguing. The former four-star from California was rated the No. 53 player in the country according to the 247Sports Composite, has a big body, yet was solid in coverage in his high school years. A track runner at the previous level, he possesses a lot of qualities that you want in a safety, and Harbaugh is excited to see how he continues to evolve his game.

“Zeke is a really instinctive, natural football player,” Harbaugh said. “When he is confused about something, he tends to have a very good reaction in terms of finding the ball running, taking great angles, hitting and all that stuff. He has a great feel for man coverage as well. There’s a lot to like about him. And as he continues to understand the defense you just see him getting better and better.

“So I think when it’s his time and when he’s ready to go or called upon, I think you’re gonna see a guy who’s kind of a do-it-all safety that can cover really well in man, can be a good blitzer, good tackler. And I think he would be a really great special teams player as well.”

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Steve Clinkscale updates progress of Michigan football freshman DBs in fall camp

People are sleeping on some of these new corners and safeties! #GoBlue

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Of all the position groups where Michigan football is bringing in first-year players as part of the 2022 recruiting class, none is more impressive from top-to-bottom than in the secondary.

The Wolverines brought in six defensive backs — five-star Will Johnson, four-stars Zeke Berry, Keon Sabb, and Kody Jones, as well as three-stars Myles Pollard and Damani Dent. While some will play corner and others will play safety, it’s a versatile group that can transcend a traditional role in one or the other.

Johnson is contending for the starting cornerback job opposite DJ Turner, but the group as a whole is performing well in fall camp. However, the bigger question isn’t about Johnson, Sabb, Jones, or Pollard — as the foursome has been on campus since January and participated in spring ball. Of equal importance is how Berry and Dent are acclimating.

In the eyes of co-defensive coordinator and defensive pass game coordinator Steve Clinkscale, so far so good, across the board.

“I think the young men that were here in the spring have a slight advantage as far as understanding the system,” Clinkscale said. “The two other gentlemen who got here in the summer are under academic — they’re in class. So, adding that to their plate with football, still in school right now, it’s a little challenging for them. They’re performing — Zeke (Berry) is especially performing to a level where you can see his instincts. You can see why we recruited him and what he’s gonna be able to do.

“But as far as Will, Myles, and Kody, you definitely see they’re a little further ahead than the freshmen were last year. We were able to get — except for Rod Moore, he was different. Those guys will develop right to where we need them to. We’re going to ask all of them to help us at some point. The capacity is really going to be up to them, what they know, what they understand, how they can execute.”

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Considering that Clinkscale mentioned every other name, we asked him specifically about Sabb, especially considering that he was once rated a five-star — he finished at No. 84 overall in the 247Sports Composite, but he was ranked as high as No. 5 overall in his initial ranking in 2019. He was ranked No. 22 just 13 months ago — which was around the time of his visit to Ann Arbor — before getting passed by a number of other high-profile recruits.

Clinkscale says that he’s liked what he’s seen ranging from spring ball into fall camp, but given that he’s locked into the position of safety, and he’s learning both the free and strong roles, it’s been a little more challenging for him than most.

“Keon’s done a great job. He’s probably got the hardest job of the bunch, of those four, because he has to know both safeties,” Clinkscale said. “He knows what the safeties are doing, now it’s just taking that step forward on the field and applying it. And being able to let loose and make some plays.

“Yesterday, he had a really good practice and he keeps getting better every week and every day. He’s really evolving and he’s really got the biggest load. Playing corner, the biggest responsibility is not getting beat deep. Nickel, you’ve gotta understand the nuances. But safety, he’s gotta know what everybody’s doing, make all the checks. And for him being a freshman, I think he’s doing a great job.”

We’ll get to see what, likely, all of the above look like early in the season, starting with Michigan football’s first game on Sept. 3 against Colorado State.

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Power ranking Michigan football freshmen by potential 2022 contribution

Who will be #Michigan’s first-year instant impact players? #GoBlue

Every year, in likely every college football team, a first-year player comes in and makes an instant impact.

At Michigan, we’ve seen several. In 2021, Andrel Anthony and Junior Colson; in 2020, Blake Corum and Roman Wilson; in 2019, Zach Charbonnet and Dax Hill; Chris Evans and Devin Bush in 2016. The list can go on indefinitely. But who will be those players in 2022?

Though the class was 23 deep (when you include Andrew Gentry), there are numerous candidates to be instant impact players. Even though we have a good idea of some players already who are likely to find themselves in the two-deep, there are others — particularly in positions of need — that could make a splash in year one.

Here are our top 10 choices, ranked from last to first, of freshmen who could find themselves on the field early and often in 2022.