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UW Fresh Start (No. 25): Berry Might Be Ripe for His First Playing Time

Originally posted on FanNation Husky Maven  |  By Dan Raley  |  Last updated 3/6/22

Once spring football begins, Emeka Megwa surely will be the center of attention at University of Washington running back. Outsiders will strain to get their first look at a guy who received 37 scholarship offers, left high school early and brought an injury from home that apparently restricted his first season in Seattle.

The flamboyant one Jay'Veon Sunday, known for his high-stepping and finger-pointer ways last spring, no doubt will do his best to redirect that attention his way.

New Mexico transfer Aaron Dumas won't have to introduce himself to Husky coach Kalen DeBoer after rushing for 143 yards against his Fresno State team last fall and being recruited by him the year before. That relationship will be noted. 

Fourth-year sophomore Cam Davis will be the old guy and the only returning back with UW starts (2) since junior Richard Newton is rehabbing a surgically-repaired knee and likely unavailable for some time. 

Sam Adams II will be talked about because he might be switched to defense.

Oh yeah, Caleb Berry finds himself in this mix, too.

He's one of four Texas-produced running backs in this UW competition, joining Megwa, Sunday and Dumas, but he might be the least discussed candidate at this point.

That's because the 6-foot-1, 225-pound Berry — easily the Huskies' biggest ball carrier of the bunch — hasn't played much at all over the past two seasons. 

In his sixth game as a senior at East Texas powerhouse Lufkin High School, he left the field in an ambulance after an opposing tackler fell on him and broke his leg. Last fall, the Huskies chose to protect his redshirt status and didn't use him on game days.

Less than.a month until spring practice, we're offering intel and observations gathered on the UW football personnel in a series of stories on every scholarship player from No. 0 to 99. We'll review each Husky's previous starting experience, if applicable, and determine what comes next under DeBoer.

As is the case with any coaching change, it's a new football beginning for everyone, including the Huskies' No. 25 on offense.

Fully repaired and well-rested now, Berry might be as good as any of his running-back peers in Montlake. He carries a solid physique but doesn't otherwise have a compelling storyline just yet, outside of encouraging Lufkin High teammate Ja'Lynn Polk to transfer from Texas Tech and join him at the UW.

While brought along cautiously last spring, Berry might be more than ready for a breakout month of April this time, for a chance to show exactly what he can do with a football in his hands. 

He should have ample opportunity to demonstrate how he churned out more than 1,400 yards and 22 touchdowns in two seasons for Lufkin High, including rushing for 210 yards and 3 scores in a game not long before he was injured.

Berry can showcase why Arkansas, Southern Miss and others tried hard to sign him but lost out to the Huskies, and why he should play.

UW Starter or Not: Berry doesn't have the fanfare of some of his UW teammates vying for the running-back job, but he has enough size and shiftiness to earn playing time. Think Kamari Pleasant, only younger. While starting might not be immediate development for him, Berry won't be all that surprising if he's sent on the field to run the ball this fall.

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This article first appeared on FanNation Husky Maven and was syndicated with permission.

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