Lindsay Budin is a student at the University of Michigan and has written for Maize n Brew since 2024.
Coming into the 2024 season, Zeke Berry's potential went somewhat under the radar. Playing behind some of the team's best defensive players like Mike Sainristil, Rod Moore and Makari Paige, it simply wasn't Berry's time to shine.
As Sainristil moved up to play at the professional ranks, Berry won the competition to fill his nickel position. For someone who was used as a rotational player for the prior two years, that was a major step. He flashed more than just potential, and highlighted his versatility all season long as the Wolverines dealt with injuries in the secondary.
In a starting role, took strides in his game. In 2025, he can show that his potential has more than just flashes.
If you look purely at the number of snaps for Michigan's defensive players in 2024, Berry's name is right at the top. His 629 snaps were the fourth-most among all defensive players. Despite that, Berry actually earned the lowest defensive grade for the Wolverines on Pro Football Focus with a 58.6 grade.
Now, that poor score isn't to say he was detrimental to Michigan. Berry was thrown into a huge role this season. To put his 629 snaps into context, he had just 45 defensive snaps in his first two seasons with the Wolverines. Plus, he ended the season on a huge high note, with an 81.4 PFF grade against Indiana -- a game in which he recorded an interception and two pass breakups -- and a modest 60.6 grade against Alabama where he recorded another pass breakup and gave up just one reception on four targets.
Berry saw a massive uptick in his usage, and that did expose some of the weaknesses and inconsistencies in his coverage, especially early in the season. On the positive side, though, it showed flashes of his potential. With a boatload of experience now under his belt, Berry can work on the shortcomings in his coverage during the offseason.
In 2024, it was about earning all those snaps. In 2025, it will be about what he can do in those snaps and how he can limit receivers when he is targeted.
Berry started 2024 as Michigan's starting nickel, but ended up moving to outside cornerback later on due to some injuries. He only played seven snaps in the slot from the Oregon game through the Ohio State game, but he did have 25 snaps in the slot and 34 at corner against Alabama, per PFF, so it's unclear where exactly he'll play in 2025.
It's possible that Berry moves back to nickel, but it's also reasonable to think he stays on the outside given how well he played when he moved to that role late in the year. However, no matter where he plays, having a player as versatile as Berry is extremely helpful.
This will be Berry's fourth season with the Wolverines, so this is a huge opportunity for the senior to show leadership for the defense. He will likely be one of the more veteran players for Michigan's secondary, especially if safety Rod Moore declares for the 2025 NFL Draft.
As somebody who worked his way up the depth chart and is now a senior in a large role, there's a lot Berry can offer his fellow teammates in the secondary. This year will give him the opportunity to showcase his leadership skills.
Going into the 2024 season, Berry was excited to finally get an opportunity for meaningful playing time. After an impressive season where Berry's versatility shined and his confidence ballooned, the bar has only raised higher. The expectations for Berry going into next season will be much higher than that.