Michigan DB Zeke Berry embraces solidified role at cornerback

Redshirt junior defensive back Zeke Berry has made his rounds in Michigan’s defensive backfield during his first three seasons in Ann Arbor. The 5-foot-11, 196-pound defensive back from Pittsburg, California, has made appearances at safety, nickel and corner for the Maize and Blue.

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Last season, Berry started in 12 games — seven of which came at nickel, with five coming at outside corner. Toward the end of the 2024 season, Berry established himself as a solid cornerback, with senior Makari Paige taking the reins as the Wolverines’ best option at nickel.

Heading into the 2025 season, Berry seems to have cemented himself into the cornerback position, and it appears he has locked up a starting cornerback spot, likely alongside redshirt sophomore Jyaire Hill.

At Big Ten Media Days in Las Vegas last month, Michigan head coach Sherrone Moore confirmed to reporters that Michigan does prefer Berry at cornerback as opposed to at nickel.

“We see Zeke as a corner that can play nickel if we need him to,” Moore said. “Really like Zeke at corner. He obviously showed high upside throughout the end of the season, and we feel like he’s going to be in a good spot.”

As for Berry, although he’s being looked at as CB1 by many, he says he’s still showing up to practice every day with the mindset that his spot is going to be taken.

“For me, in fall camp, I don’t feel like I really have my spot,” Berry told reporters on Friday. “We’re all playing good as a defense, like all the DBs. I feel like I’m still fearful to get my spot taken. So I keep coming in each and every day and try to win my spot.”

Berry also noted that his experience at safety and nickel has helped him understand the nuances of cornerback, and it’s become especially helpful to know where his help is coming from.

“I feel like the benefit for me moving around, just being able to know different parts. If I’m at corner, I know where my help is at nickel or safety. If I’m at nickel, I know where my help is at corner and safety. So, I feel like just being able to have those tools to help me was really good.”

“I definitely started to get comfortable the more and more I started to play it, but there’s still some things I still need to work on.”