Harlem Berry wins 1A 100m state title, again

Harlem Berry has proven on the field that he is one of the nation’s top running back prospects, and he backed up his lofty On3 ranking with another state title win in the 100 meter-dash – this time as a sophomore.

On Thursday, Berry clocked a 10.57 100-meter time to take first place in Class 1A at the LHSAA State Championships in Baton Rouge.

The event continues with 2A and 3A on Friday, followed by 4A and 5A on Saturday.

Berry, in his just second track season, set a personal record with his 10.57 second run (1.7m/s wind) in the finals.

Berry, who won a state title in the 100-meter dash and 200-meter dash as a freshman a year ago, finished in second place in this year’s 200-meter dash with a time of 21.43. Kentwood’s Jermaine Brown took first place with a 21.24.

Berry already viewed as one of the best running backs in America

Berry made his rankings debut when On3 circled the St. Martin’s Episcopal sophomore as the No. 2 running back in the country and the No. 13 overall prospect in the 2025 class.

The ranking came after Berry landed on the On3 Top 100 Watch List for the 2025 class in August.

On3 is currently highest on the Louisiana native, while Berry is ranked by Rivals as the No. 21 overall prospect in the country. He checks in as the No. 135 overall prospect and No. 10 running back on 247Sports.

With a trio of rankings in, Berry is currently tabbed as the No. 1 running back in the country by the On3 Industry Rankings.

As a true freshman, Berry rushed for over 2,000 yards and 30 touchdowns and won state titles in the 100 and 200 meters. As a sophomore this past season, he rushed for 1,710 yards and 30 touchdowns.

“We like Harlem Berry a lot. I think that’s indicative of where we have him ranked,” said On3 National Director of Scouting and Rankings Charles Power. “Harlem Berry has a ton of upside. Everyone is well aware of his game-breaking ability, the long speed, the athleticism with what he’s done in track and field, but what really impressed me about Harlem Berry was the actual in-game translatable running back skills.

“By that, I mean the change of direction, field vision. Several times on his sophomore film where he gets hemmed in and it looks like a situation where you go, ‘How does he get out of this?’ He finds his way out.”

Despite facing 1A competition, Power said Berry’s abilities trump any high school classifications.

“We knew the type of athlete he was, but seeing the feel for running was very impressive,” Power explained. “He hits some marks from a production standpoint. Doesn’t play the strongest competition, but dominates at a level that you would hope for from a prospect of his caliber. The player, there’s a ton to like with him.”

LSU was one of the first to offer Louisiana’s No. 1 prospect

When Berry attended LSU’s Elite Camp in June 2022, he quickly caught the attention of running backs coach Frank Wilson – who has recruited the state of Louisiana for more than two decades.

“He said he only offered me and another one so young at my age, which meant a lot to me that somebody like coach Wilson believes in me so young,” Berry said. “He was very professional on how we did the visit. Great coach, sounds very interested in me and he’s got my back.”

As for landing an offer from the in-state Tigers, Berry circled LSU as his childhood favorite growing up in the New Orleans area.

“I love LSU,” Berry said. “I mean, my favorite college since I was a baby offered, so it means a lot to me. Now, I just gotta keep putting in the work and get ready for that next step.”

Berry has made multiple visits to LSU since landing the scholarship offer, and he most recently took in a visit for one of the team’s spring practices.

“LSU went great,” he said. “I always just get this home vibe from them whenever I’m up there. I got to see the practice and we got to eat crawfish.”

“They practiced really hard out there and it was getting really intense. The intensity was real. You can tell that they really prepared — as if it was a game — and the offense was cooking during the scrimmage.”