Jaamal Berry, Ohio State Football 2011: Will Berry Finally Shine for Buckeyes?

He reminds many people of Michael Wiley, former standout running back for Ohio State, only with a little more speed.

So highly touted out of high school in Florida, many thought Jaamal Berry could come into Ohio State as a true freshman running back and make an impact.  Some even thought he might be starting by the end of the season.

Yet Berry would not see the field as a freshman, as he was redshirted while junior Brandon Saine and sophomore Dan Herron saw most of the action at tailback.

Then there was the performance of Berry during last year's spring game in April, which had many people again wondering whether he could start at tailback for the Buckeyes.  Berry would go on to see plenty of action as a kick returner, running one kickoff back for a touchdown, but saw limited playing time at tailback, relegated to third string with Jordan Hall again behind Herron and Saine.

This year, however, promises to be different, at least for the first five games.  Due to the fact that senior Dan Herron will be suspended for the first five games of 2011 for his part in the "inkgate" controversy, the competition for starting tailback is now between Berry and Hall.

So, the question remains: Can Berry break through and become the starter at tailback?

In the short term the answer is yes, as long as he plays well enough to warrant more time than Hall.  At the beginning of the season, he showed flashes of brilliance.  Berry will need to continue to impress if he wants to overtake Hall, who more and more looked like Tressel's No. 3 guy at the end of 2010.

Once Herron returns, however, it will be a different story.  Berry will more than likely need really impressive games against Miami and Michigan State if he wants to supplant Herron as the starter.  The reality is that either way, Ohio State plans on going to a timeshare at running back again, and whether its Herron and Berry or Herron and Hall remains to be seen.

One thing is for certain: There will never be a bigger opportunity than next September for Jaamal Berry to show coach Tressel and company what he can do.