Countdown to Kickoff: 17 Days (Justin Berry and Isaac Griffith

Written by: TJ Inman (@TJHoosierHuddle)

#17

17 days. 17 days are all that is standing between us and the season opener. The Hoosiers will take the field in Miami to battle Florida International University and kick-off the 2016 season.Today’s Hoosier Huddle Countdown features two players. The first, wide receiver Isaac Griffith, is looking to battle back from a season-ending injury and the second, Justin Berry, is an under-the-radar walk on.

Isaac Griffith

-Height: 6’0”

-Weight: 185 pounds

-Hometown: Fort Wayne, IN. (Homestead)

-Position: Wide Receiver

A native of Fort Wayne, Indiana, Isaac Griffith signed on with Kevin Wilson and the Hoosiers after a standout career at Homestead High School. Griffith finished his high school career with school records in receptions (119), yardage (2,453 yards) and touchdowns (37). He exploded during his senior season for 22 receiving touchdowns and he owns the single-game records for touchdowns (six) and receiving touchdowns (five). Griffith helped Homestead to four conference championships and he was rated as the number 12 prospect in Indiana.

He redshirted the 2013 season and was the two-time scout team player of the week. Prior to the 2014 season, Griffith took a Spring Break trip to Florida with a group of friends. They were caught by a rip current and pulled away from the shore. Griffith was saved by a friend but he was non-responsive upon being pulled from the water. He was in critical condition for a period of time but the quick reactions of fellow Indiana students that were on the scene, plus the work of the medical team in Florida, helped Griffith to make a full recovery. Remarkably, he was able to appear in a pair of games (Indiana State and Ohio State) and was named scout team player of the week on one occasion.

Griffith began to make an on-field impact in 2015, as he made his first career reception in the Hoosiers victory over Western Kentucky. He caught two passes for 31 yards against Penn State and appeared to be finding his groove when injury struck at the most inopportune of times. Following his career-long catch of 17 yards, Griffith fell to the turf holding his knee. He had torn his ACL and he would be out for the remainder of the season.

Griffith worked hard to get back on the field during his rehab but his injury issues have lingered into camp. Unfortunately, it appears he may be forced to sit another season out due to injury.

Justin Berry

-Height: 6’0”

-Weight: 183 pounds

-Hometown: Charleston, SC (West Ashley High School)

-Position: Wide Receiver

During his tenure at Indiana, Kevin Wilson has made sure the Hoosiers walk-on program is an asset. While scholarship players are always going to make the bulk of the on-field impact for an FBS team, it’s important to get contributions from your walk-ons and Indiana has found and developed a few absolute gems during Wilson’s tenure. The first name that pops into mind is current senior wide receiver Mitchell Paige. He’s gone from walk-on to an indispensable part of the Big Ten’s best offense.

Justin Berry, a true freshman walk-on from Charleston, South Carolina, is hoping to replicate the success Mitchell Paige has earned. Berry played quarterback at West Ashley High School and was rated as a 3-star prospect and the 33rdranked recruit in the Palmetto State. His high school tape showcased his speed and mobility and he displayed an impressive physicality when he opted to run the ball. He was recruited by multiple schools, including Temple, Arizona State and Akron but he elected to make the trek to Bloomington and join the Hoosiers. It’s rare to have an FBS scholarship-quality recruit decide to become a walk-on at IU but Berry has done just that.

Despite a couple of injuries, IU is absolutely loaded at wide receiver so it will be difficult for Berry to crack the rotation in 2016. This season will likely be one where Berry will be asked to perform on the practice squad and help the Hoosiers prepare for their upcoming opponent. However, 2017 will see the departure of Ricky Jones and Mitchell Paige plus Simmie Cobbs could decide to forego his senior season and enter the NFL Draft. Kevin Wilson and his staff have shown that they will play the best players, regardless of scholarship status or class. If Berry proves himselfcapable, he’ll turn into another success story from the walk-on program.

Share your thoughts on Isaac Griffith, Justin Berry and the rest of the wide receiver corps as a whole in our comments section (or on the message boards) and be sure to come back to Hoosier Huddle each day as the 2016 season inches ever closer!