Countdown to IUFB Kickoff: 17 Days (Justin Berry)

Written By Alex Compton (@Alexncompton)

#17

The Hoosier Huddle Countdown to Kick-off is nearly complete! There are now 17 days until the Indiana Hoosiers kick-off the 2017 season against the Ohio State Buckeyes. Today’s countdown takes a look at IU’s impressive depth by featuring WR Justin Berry.

Justin Berry (Redshirt Freshman)

-Height: 6'0”
-Weight: 195 pounds
-Hometown: Charleston, South Carolina
-Position: Wide Receiver

We’ve touched on this multiple times throughout our countdown this offseason, but Indiana is finally getting the depth that you need in order to really improve and become a major power in the Big Ten. As Indiana has been recruiting and developing better talent, it makes the pitch to other guys in the years to come much easier as well. A perfect example of this is walk-on Justin Berry, who was a three-star recruit that had multiple offers but chose to come to IU for a shot to play for the Hoosiers instead. 

Berry was a quarterback recruit coming out of high school, but teams like IU saw the potential in him as a receiver. Berry received MAC offers to go along with offers from Temple and Arizona State. Berry was even on campus at Notre Dame, West Virginia, and Ole Miss, and received recruiting interest from just about every Big Ten school, the annual contenders included. He is a great athlete, and constitutes a “steal” if there ever was one for IU. The Hoosiers have one of the deepest and most talented wide receiver units in the country this year led by Nick Westbrook and Simmie Cobbs, so it is unlikely that Berry will have much of a role in the offense. He projects as a solid slot weapon for Tom Allen moving forward, and will likely be a key part of the special teams units as early as week one against the Buckeyes. While he may never be a game breaker for the cream and crimson, Justin Berry is a dang good football player that chose to play at IU because he believes in the program. That means a lot to me, and I’m hoping he gets the chance to make some big plays for us in the not too distant future. Check out his bio on IUHoosiers.com:

"Redshirted the 2016 season ... two-time scout team player of the week (Rutgers and Michigan) ... walk-on joined the program during 2016 preseason camp. Played for head coach Bobby Marion at West Ashley High School ... led the team to its first playoff appearance and the best record in school history as a senior ... finished his career with 3,200 total yards and 30 total touchdowns ... an AAAA All-Low Country and all-region selection served as a team captain ... three-year football and track and field letterwinner ... member of the national honor society."