Zeke Berry injury update: Where Michigan CB stands before Nebraska game, how Jayden Sanders has stepped in

Michigan Wolverines football senior cornerback Zeke Berry went down with a lower right leg injury at the 10:34 mark in the fourth quarter of a 24-13 loss to Oklahoma Sept. 6 in Norman. He dressed for last week’s game against Central Michigan but didn’t play after being listed as ‘questionable’ on the Big Ten availability report.

Head coach Sherrone Moore said last Monday that the injury was “mild,” so perhaps the Wolverines were being cautious with him last week. Defensive backs coach LaMar Morgan provided a further update Wednesday ahead of the Big Ten opener Saturday at Nebraska.

“Zeke Berry’s moving around, trying to get some stuff going. He did it last week, as well,” Morgan noted.

But a lot more than just moving around goes into playing his position, Morgan explained.

“At corner, it’s a little bit different than other positions,” the Michigan coach said. “You want to get back and feel comfortable when you get back. You have to be able to push off, you have to be able to jump. It’s not like receiver where they tell you to run a 10-yard stop. I know it’s more than that, but at DB, you don’t know what they’re doing, you’re all reaction. When a DB is hurt, you have to be able to respond to whatever someone’s doing in front of you, so it takes a little bit more time.

“Zeke has been working really hard. We have a great medical staff and team here, so I’m excited, and hopefully we can get him back this week. He’s practicing and stuff like that. We just need to make sure he feels comfortable, and we don’t want him to reinjure anything. That’s not really my expertise.”

Berry has been a mainstay in the starting lineup for the Michigan defense over the last two seasons, both as a nickel and outside corner. The 5-foot-11, 196-pounder was an honorable mention All-Big Ten selection last season. He has 2 pass breakups and 2 tackles through two appearances this year.

“If he’s ready to go, you all know what you’re going to get from Zeke,” Morgan said. “He’ll give everything he’s got every single play, so I’m excited if we can get him back this week.”

Michigan freshman Jayden Sanders — a 6-foot-1, 193-pound Kilgore, Texas, native — came in for Berry when he went down against Oklahoma and started against CMU. Sanders enrolled at Michigan this summer, not in the winter like some of his classmates, but he’s earned a role early.

“The crazy thing about Jayden, to me, is he wasn’t an early enrollee, so he got here in the summer because he was doing basketball and stuff like that,” Morgan explained.

“I think his dad is a former DB at TCU. He was a really good player. His mom is a former athlete at the University of Houston. You’ve got parents that preach discipline. He’s coming from a blue-collar program in Kilgore, Texas. They’re a tough-nosed, blue-collar program. He played offense and defense. A lot of our DBs that we recruit here do that in high school.

“He’s mature. You can coach him. He’s smart. He works really hard. When his time has come, he was ready to go. And I think that’s really all about football. You never know when your time is ready, but a lot of guys aren’t ready when their time comes. I think he’s done a good job of working while he’s working.”

Sanders has risen his way up Michigan’s cornerback depth chart, in part because of injuries ahead of him, but he’s made the most of his opportunity to this point. He’s recorded 8 tackles in three games.

“When he got here, he was probably the seventh or eighth corner on the depth chart, had some injuries, beat a couple guys out and he’s done a good job,” Morgan said. 

“I’m just excited about him growing. Of course, he has to clean up some things like we all do, but I’m excited for him and his family.”