Ohio State Football: Running Back Prospect Jaamal Berry Verbally Commits
Cody Blubaugh introduces who Ohio State has netted as their twenty-fifth verbal of the 2009 class,
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.