Ricky DeBerry to Oklahoma: Sooners Land 4-Star LB Prospect

Ricky DeBerry, a 4-star outside linebacker from Atlee High School in Mechanicsville, Virginia, announced his commitment to the Oklahoma Sooners on Friday.

ESPN's Tom VanHaaren reported the news:

According to 247Sports' composite rankings, DeBerry is the No. 71 overall prospect in the class of 2015 and is rated as the seventh-best outside linebacker. To provide an idea of his versatility, though, his profile for the site notes he can play as a weak-side defensive end as well, mentioning that he also runs a 4.60 40-yard dash at 6'2.5" and 240 pounds.

That type of positional flexibility and combination of size and speed should allow DeBerry to get on the field sooner rather than later for Oklahoma despite the big step up in competition.

One big deciding factor that went into DeBerry's final decision was how he would fit in schematically, which proves that he has a strong understanding of concepts and a desire to delve into the playbook.

DeBerry discussed this in a report by Rivals.com's Adam Friedman (subscription required, h/t Mike Herndon of AL.com):

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I want to look more at the defensive schemes of these schools and figure out what they would really have me doing. I'm not one of those guys that doesn't like to be in pass coverage. I feel like one of my strengths is being a pass rusher. When I'm on these visits I'll be asking about how they use their outside linebackers and that will help me narrow this down again down the road.

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It's a good sign that DeBerry entered this arduous decision-making process with an open mind and was willing to be malleable and coached up based on what teams were planning to do with him.

That seems to indicate DeBerry is willing to be a team player and someone worthy of all the top-tier programs offering him scholarships.

Eric Kolenich of the Richmond Times-Dispatch provided his analysis on the skills DeBerry possesses:

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DeBerry [...] can rush the quarterback like a charging bull. But he also can drop back into zone coverage and cover a receiver man to man. Recruiters see him as an outside linebacker in a 3-4 defense, or a defensive end in a 4-3. Offensive lines frequently double-team him.

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Such an assessment is an adequate summary of what DeBerry brings to the gridiron, and it makes sense that he commands a double-team because of how much force he generates with his strength and speed. Since he's so quick and crafty on the edge, he's extremely difficult to block while he's standing up.

Opposing quarterbacks have to know where he is at all times, because DeBerry can just as easily scream in off the edge as he can slip unseen on an underneath route and snag an interception. The highest marks DeBerry receives on his 247Sports profile's key attributes, rated on a scale of one to 10, are in instincts, where he gets a nine, and scores of eight on athleticism, pursuit and reactive quickness.

All of those skills combined indicate that DeBerry is good at taking the proper angles and not overrunning the play, has a nose for the ball and can make split-second, decisive cuts and moves to beat his opponents.

Oklahoma is fortunate to have DeBerry, because he is not only naturally gifted in many ways, but he also has the upside to be molded into an all-around excellent linebacker. The Sooners could even let DeBerry have his hand in the dirt at times, especially if he bulks up and adds 20 pounds or so of muscle, which is a feasible possibility.

Since DeBerry has previously hinted at his openness to playing anywhere on the field, he can be a dynamic special teams player to start his collegiate career if he's not ready to crack the starting lineup. However, Oklahoma should also deploy him as a situational pass-rusher in his freshman campaign, and if all goes well, DeBerry should be starting by no later than his sophomore season.