RB Jaamal Berry (Transfer to Murray State)

[BuckeyefromPitt]

All the calls for Berry to get time with the 1st team just has me thinking about a few points:

1. I agree that he has shown immense potential in the limited time he has seen thus far but it is important to note (as many already have) that this potential has been shown against backups on teams that are from the bottom rung of the 1-A ranks. Allowing Boom and Saine to run against that same level of competition would most likely look similar, better and definitely not worse.

2. If the coaches perceived a problem with our starting RBs and felt that Jaamal presented a better option, Tressel's track record indicates that he would be getting snaps with the first team.

3. He is young. There is nothing wrong with him getting his feet wet in live action, learning the system, and prepping him to take on a larger role later in his career. Being a starting RB is much more than raking up yards against SCLSU's 8th string.

4. Concerns that he would transfer are ludicrous. He is not going to get a better shot, on a better team, with a better system to be a star than Ohio State.

I have read it on here a million times: TRUST THE COACHES. When it's his time and he is ready, he will play. Until then, enjoy watching him in the return game and in the 4th quarter when we are blowing teams out.

 

[3074326]

You cant just bring them in and run run run, without the threat of pass. You want to work them into the offense the way its being run. I would like to see them explode a few more times too, but they'll have to do it with the reps they get for now.

I feel like the amount of touches I want him to get is being overblown. :p

I trust the coaches. There's apparently some reason that Berry and Hall aren't getting more reps with the first-team offense. I just don't see the downside of getting Berry a few carries with the first team. Berry already has more yardage than Saine this year and he's only carried the ball 15 times. Just seems like he's a weapon who could be used more.

But, coaches > me.

 

[Meyer]

http://recruiting.scout.com/a.z?s=73&p=8&c=1&nid=3615000

I was just looking back on this...and his area for improvement is breakaway speed???? What a joke!!!

But I agree. The dude should get some more touches. Both him and Hall. As long as they don't fumble...

Those two could really make a big play in a big game. Not that Saine and Herron cannot, but the Berry and Hall are threats to take it the distance every time they touch the ball.

 

[FrancisSoyer]

I feel like the amount of touches I want him to get is being overblown. :p

I trust the coaches. There's apparently some reason that Berry and Hall aren't getting more reps with the first-team offense. I just don't see the downside of getting Berry a few carries with the first team. Berry already has more yardage than Saine this year and he's only carried the ball 15 times. Just seems like he's a weapon who could be used more.

But, coaches > me.

I agree but Berry hasn't been running against fresh defenses. I'm curious to see how he does when he gets a chance though. His performance returning kicks makes it pretty clear that he's capable of making huge plays happen in the blink of an eye. Jordan has really impressed me with his quickness too.

 

[3074326]

I agree but Berry hasn't been running against fresh defenses. I'm curious to see how he does when he gets a chance though. His performance returning kicks makes it pretty clear that he's capable of making huge plays happen in the blink of an eye. Jordan has really impressed me with his quickness too.

I know, it's still kind of mindblowing that a third/fourth stringer has more yards than our starter.

He's proven his explosiveness. Stats don't show what we've all seen. Heck of a problem to have, I'll just leave it at that.

 

[WaitingforKickoff]

The one back that's getting increased pt at the expense of Saine is Herron, and rightfully so. Herron is not the fastest guy of the bunch, but when it comes to finding and hitting the hole, vision, ability of make people miss, catching the ball and running the right routes when the play breaks down, Herron is your guy. I understand that Hall and Berry both have shown the potential to do those things, but when it comes to the B10 season coaches are going to put the ball in the hands of backs that they can trust, and right now Herron is that guy. After Herron my choice would be Hall, and after Hall it'd be Berry.

 

[TresselstillownsTSUN]

I always though it was funny on Berry's Scout profile his listed 40 time is 4.31. And on areas of improvement it has breakaway speed. Irony IMO.

Also, Berry isn't going anywhere. Jaamal loves it at OSU, and Mama Berry wants him there. Berry has been told by the staff his is our most talented back, just has to wait his turn. He knows his time will come. I mean we are talking about about a RS-freshman RB on a team making a run at a NC trasferring due to lack of carries. No need to worry IMO.

 

[Meyer]

I always though it was funny on Berry's Scout profile his listed 40 time is 4.31. And on areas of improvement it has breakaway speed. Irony IMO.

Also, Berry isn't going anywhere. Jaamal loves it at OSU, and Mama Berry wants him there. Berry has been told by the staff his is our most talented back, just has to wait his turn. He knows his time will come. I mean we are talking about about a RS-freshman RB on a team making a run at a NC trasferring due to lack of carries. No need to worry IMO.

Yea, I think almost all of us have no worries about a transfer...

 

[FrancisSoyer]

I always though it was funny on Berry's Scout profile his listed 40 time is 4.31. And on areas of improvement it has breakaway speed. Irony IMO.

Also, Berry isn't going anywhere. Jaamal loves it at OSU, and Mama Berry wants him there. Berry has been told by the staff his is our most talented back, just has to wait his turn. He knows his time will come. I mean we are talking about about a RS-freshman RB on a team making a run at a NC trasferring due to lack of carries. No need to worry IMO.

We are? I think we just want to see what he can do with a starting o-line in front of him. A transfer hasn't been discussed by anyone that I've seen.

Edit: Ok there was a post that mentioned it up there. My bad.

 

[jwinslow]

There is a decent chance hall and berry are the top two backs by default next season. Saine graduates and Herron could decide to get his pro career started since his touches will be limited again next fall.

 

[GeorgiaBuck2]

Think of how Penn State feels about their tailbacks. :tongue2:

 

[TresselstillownsTSUN]

I was making reference to the quote in OhBch 's post. I don't think many of us are worried about Berry going anywhere.

 

[Buckskin86]

Ohio State youngster Berry making big plays
Published: Monday, September 27, 2010
By John Kampf
[email protected]

COLUMBUS ? In a matter of speaking, Ohio State did call off the dogs off after building a 59-20 lead over Eastern Michigan on Saturday.

Unfortunately for the visiting Eagles, calling off the dogs in Buckeyes-speak means handing the ball to Jaamal Berry.

Taking the handoff from OSU's 33-yard line, the redshirt freshman was gone in the blink of an eye.

Sixty-seven yards later, the former high school All-American had his first collegiate touchdown.

"I've been waiting for that," Berry said with a broad smile. "I just know I was going to make sure nobody was going to catch me. I saw the end zone and was like ?I'm not going to stop running until I get there.' "

http://www.news-herald.com/articles/2010/09/27/sports/nh3094201.txt

 

[matttank]

I'm with those that would like to see Berry get some touches with the 1st team, somewhere in the neighborhood of 5 carries or a series. Every time he touches the ball he is making things happen, and we can't really say that about all of our RBs. He has Saine's breakaway speed but is much more natural of a runner like Boom (has better shake, vision and a feel for where his blocks should take him).

People have made a valid point that he has made his hay against tired, poor defenses. However, most have neglected to mention that he has also done this exclusively behind a backup O-Line, and his KO returns have been against starting ST units.

I also understand the questions about his pass protection skills, but I saw Saine blow a couple of blitz pickups against EMU (and Pryor bailed him out by scrambling). I'm really not that worried about TP getting injured on a sack unless it is from his blindside, and there are ways to keep the RB from having to protect said blindside. Even if he is completely lost in pass protection (we have no idea really unless you've attended practices), you could still put him in when we aren't in obvious passing situations and take him out if we get in one.

The kid is averaging 11.8 yds a carry. The #1 job of a running back is to run the ball. If he could average half that against fresh 1's and provide us with that real homerun threat, than he could prove to be a huge asset to us winning a NC this season IMO. Again, I'm not saying he should become the workhorse (For the record, I would go Herron, Berry, Hall/Saine with Saine also getting a lot of snaps as a #3 WR. Not that it matters in the least since I'm not the coach and Tressel won't be doing that haha). I just thinks its worth a shot.

 

[Bestbuck36]

He's earning his shot. In all honesty though, where could they have gotten more reps? Certainly not in the Miami game the way it was going back and forth. Not vs Marshall when Saine and Herron were going ballistic and we were just getting the offense going. That leaves the OU game. Maybe they could have gotten more looks in that game but after Terrelle threw 2 picks, JT wanted to see more of the short passing game. The EMU game was the perfect spot to unleash Hall and Berry - mission accomplished.

Stay consistent. Stay focused. Stay healthy. The rest will come and sooner than later.