Ohio State fans needed a bit of good news to pick them up after the scare with injured running back Chris "Beanie" Wells. They got it in a big way when one of the top running backs in the nation, Jaamal Berry, verbally committed to the Buckeyes Sunday morning.
The writing may have been on the wall long before today, but a 20-hour drive to see Ohio State take on Youngstown State on his own accord pretty much tipped his hand. He delivered the news to Coach Tressel and his mother after a campus and facility tour, adding to the pleasure of a season opening win.
With Berry now added to the 2009 recruiting class, the tally has now reached 25 players, the maximum allotment in any given recruiting year. Several of the verbals plan to rectify that problem by enrolling early and counting towards the 2008 class, meaning the only 'number' to be worried about is the overall 85 man roster.
Jaamal will join fellow Floridian and running back Carlos Hyde to give the Buckeye's a combination of thunder and lighting. At 5'11' and 185 lbs., there were questions on whether or not he would be speedy enough to make up for his lack of size. All of those doubts were erased when he ripped off a 4.31 40-yard dash at a Florida combine.
Don't let his size fool you though, as Jaamal does not stray away from contact. Berry is said to have great upper body strength, combined with a low center of gravity, which allows him to fight off would be tacklers to gain extra yards. He is often described as "very physical", which is why the speed concerns were cast upon him. To cap it all off, he has the ability to get out in the receiving game with a set of soft hands.
As aforementioned, Berry is considered to be one of the top players in Florida, which speaks volumes as to how good he is given the top notch prospects coming out of the state of Florida. In 2007, Berry ran for 1,033 yards on 140 carries, equating out just a shade below 7.4 yards per carry. He finished with 14 touchdowns, and added in 5 receptions for 30 yards.
There have been rumors of grade issues with Jaamal, which have many concerned if Berry will be academically eligible to play at Ohio State. The coaching staff has been recruiting him hard, signifying that this is a non-issue, and that they feel Berry will fine academically. Berry has stated himself that he is working hard to bring up his grades, and wants to submit a sufficient ACT score.
Jaamal Berry expressed his excitement to have the opportunity to play beside the phenom quarterback Terrelle Pryor, as well as be a part of an offense that seems to fit him well. Berry also stated that Ohio State is where he is most comfortable, and that the coaching staff has made quite the impression on him.
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3 months ago
Good job Cody
from 3 months ago
Thank You Sarah!
3 months ago
Hmm a speedy guy from Florida coming to Ohio State over fellow SEC schools :)
from 3 months ago
Ohio State is starting to establish a little something down in Florida. We will never take the to flight prospects away consistently from the Florida schools, but we will start to get our share. Frankie Telfort is a guy to watch out for. With Berry in the bag, Telfort may follow.
from 3 months ago
The bad thing is we have reached our limit for recruits next year unless some of them go early and are applied to this year's class then we can add a couple more. I mean its not a bad thing to have all of your recruits a year in advance. We established a little in Georia ever since Antonio Henton came as well.
from 2 months ago
Don't worry, we've got some some transfers coming(James Scott just left I've read), as well as early enrollees. We will be able to take a few more in next years class.
Also don't forget our sudden explosion in Pennsylvania, and we are creeping up to Maryland as well!
2 months ago
I just watched some highlight videos of him on youtube. All I can say is WOW! Play after play he amazed me and with hardly any blocking from his offensive line.
from 2 months ago
Yeah, I've got a video of him up in the the article, but I don't think you can see it unless you are using firefox.
The kid can just flat out get it done, whether it be running around you, by you, or through you!
from 2 months ago
Yeah it doesn't work in my browser. My favorite is when he has one guy to beat and the player got turned around by a blocker so Jamaal lowered his shoulder and hit him in the back and put him face down in the grass and then scored, it was awesome!
from 2 months ago
Obviously, the loss of Beanie either after this season or the next, will have people really concerned about our backfield.
Berry coupled with Hyds, we are definitely in good hands for the future!......and this is leaving out those guys named Saine and Herron :)
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