Posted on 06/30/2009 3:45:29 PM PDT by The Pack Knight
In college football recruiting today, it's never too early.
The entire process has been accelerated. In fact, it's now so fast that one rising star has decided where to play his college football even though he hasn't played a down of high school football.
The player is Evan Berry of Fairburn, Ga. Berry is the younger brother of Tennessee super safety Eric Berry.
Evan Berry has decided to follow in the footsteps of his brother and father after accepting a verbal scholarship offer to play for the Volunteers and coach Lane Kiffin.
"Yes, I committed to Tennessee," Evan said. "It's the only college I know right now and it seems the best for me. My dad went there and my brother is there now. I know I can do the same things there. I have a real friendly relationship with the coaches there. I know I don't know them too well, but I know I will have plenty of time to get to know them."
Berry, only 13 years old, will be a ninth grader this fall at Creekside - the same high school Eric attended. He has played his recreational ball for the Fairburn Flames. He was a star quarterback, running back and free safety. He was coached by his father, James Berry.
"Evan plays on a different level than everyone else," James Berry said. "He's a technician with the ball in his hands. He just fits at quarterback and at safety. He's quick and fast and has a natural instinct for handling the ball."
Berry has a fraternal twin, Elliot. Evan currently stands 5-8 and 145 pounds while Elliot is 5-11.
"I am not sure why Elliot is bigger but he just recently decided to go on a huge growth spurt," James Berry said. "He's so fast and has such natural instincts to find the open spot. He's very instinctive on defense and a good tackler. Elliot is more like Eric. Like I said, Evan is in another league of his own."
Speaking of Eric, how would the Berry's father compare the twins to their older brother at the same stage?
"I coached all three to this stage and I can say that Evan and Elliot are further along than Eric was at 13," James Berry said. "They are such gifted athletes. I don't want to sound like the dad who's always bragging, but they are. They are blessed. I am blessed. And I am so proud of all my boys. But the thing I am most proud of is that they are such good students."
This season Evan and Elliot will have to earn their way to the varsity at Creekside. That's how they want it, and they will work hard to accomplish that first goal.
"I am hoping to play quarterback and in the secondary this season," Evan Berry said. "Elliot wants to play running back and linebacker."
Still, it's scary to think that this duo will only be high school freshman this fall.
"Hey, we just have to take it one day at a time," James Berry said. "Things happen and four years is a long ways away."
While Evan has made his early decision, Elliot has not. In fact, at this time he favors another SEC program.
"Right now Evan favors LSU. He really likes their track program," Evan Berry said.
Seriously, though, I'd be interested to see the terms of this contract, if it even amounts to one. Does he still get anything if he gets hurt in the next four years or just doesn't pan out as a D1-level talent? Does Tennessee have any remedy if he up and decides to go somewhere else? If the answer to both those questions is no, is this anything more than just two people saying what they'd like to see happen?
If this is a contract, it seems kind of crazy for both sides. There's no way of knowing what kind of player he'll be in four years, or even if he'll be physically able to play in four years. I've seen players who were heavily recruited as juniors but didn't even start as seniors because their talent just seemed to vanish, and here we aren't talking about a junior, but an 8th grader! Also, there's no telling what kind of program Tennessee is going to have, especially with a brand new young coach who was just canned by the Raiders and who has no college head coaching experience. It's very possible that one or both sides will be very unhappy with this deal by the time he's a senior.
The college football world is just getting bizarre....
It’s meaningless at this point. And Kiffin is doing a great job in proving what a jerk he is. I hope he gets whipped this season. A kid can’t officially verbal (which is non binding and worthless as well) until Sept 1st of his JR year. What is binding is his letter of intent signing on the first Tuesday in February of his Senior year.
Its a verbal commitment, there is no “contract.”
Oh he will.
Well, get ready son, because in a few years you're gonna get to know the Florida Gators very well.
Firing Kiffin is about the only positive thing that Al Davis has done in a decade.
If a school offers a 13 year old a full ride, they should honor the offer even if he gets injured in high school.
OTOH, they shouldn’t be held to the deal if he doesn’t study in school and can’t do college work.
I am unsure of the laws in Tennessee, but in many parts of the world (New Zealand included) a thirteen year-old is still an “infant at law” and unable to consummate a contract for anything other than the necessaries of life.
> Its a verbal commitment, there is no “contract.”
Usually verbal commitments are contractually binding, as many farmers will tell you. In this case there may not be a proper contract in place, not because it is verbal but because of the child’s age.
Nothing is binding until the signed letter of intent which is a specific day.
Well, in the US (and I think in other common law countries), contracts for non-necessities are voidable by the minor, but can be enforced by the minor against the other party.
It’s generally irrelevant whether the contract was oral (”verbal”, as they inaccurately put it) or written. However, since this agreement can’t be performed in less than one year, it’s generally enforceable under the Statute of Frauds.
In Collegiate recruiting, Verbal (and even written) commitments are COMMONLY broken. These are “letter of intents” and are not really worth the paper they’re written on. They are broken ALL THE TIME. Until the player is first eligible to sign, and then actually signs, you never know what school they’ll commit to.
Funny how Kiffin’s name is only mentioned in passing by the reporter in this story and not a word is said about him by any of the Berrys. Call me skeptical on this one. I think it amounts to a kid sitting on the sideline and a coach jokingly telling him to come to Tennessee.
This has reporter half-truths written all over it.
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