Saban loves DeBerrys versatility
Another weekend, another group of uber-talented visitors at Alabama. Among them was Rivals250 linebacker Ricky DeBerry from Richmond (Va.) St. Christopher's.
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"Alabama is the spot!" DeBerry raved. "We got there and went to talk to the academic people. They were great and my mom really liked everything they do as far as getting the players in the right classes and making sure every player is doing what they are supposed to be doing."
While education does come first for the DeBerry's, they were certainly pleased with the football presentation.
"When we got to the football side my dad kind of took over and he loved everything," said the 6-foot-2, 237-pound DeBerry. "Everyone thinks that Alabama gets all the five-stars and they don't work hard. That's not true. I talked to a lot of the players and they said that if you work hard and do what you have to do everyone will get a chance to play. They coaches were really down to earth and kept everything straightforward. I really liked that about the coaching staff. They didn't try to say whatever they needed to to try to get me to go there."
One current member of the Crimson Tide spent a substantial amount of time with DeBerry.
"I felt really good being down there," he said. "I was able to spend a lot of time with (former five-star) Jonathan Allen, a defensive end from Virginia. He was telling me how everything is. I think I fit well in that system because they really want to use me at the 'jack' position, coming off the edge. Coach Saban told me I'm a little too small to play defensive end but I'm very versatile. I could play inside or outside linebacker. He would let me decide which position I wanted to play first and give me some feedback on what they think is best. He loves my versatility and ability to come off the edge."
Needless to say, Tuscaloosa left quite an impression on DeBerry.
"Alabama has a history of having some of the top players and sending them to the NFL draft," said DeBerry. "Every single year they are a contender to play for the national championship. That's what I want to work for. Alabama has proven that Nick Saban's system works. Everything about the place is wonderful and I can see why a lot of guys go there. The campus life is great, the coaching staff is good and everything they do is trying to get them prepared for the next level. They put guys in the best position for their development, not just what is best for the team."
DeBerry could continue his busy visit schedule this coming weekend with a return visit to Rocky Top.
"My dad really wants to go to Tennessee this weekend but I've been busy the last few weekends so I'm not sure," he said. "We're definitely going to Miami, Texas A&M, UCLA and Arizona State for sure.
DeBerry is currently ranked No. 123 in the Rivals250.
Adam Friedman is the Mid-Atlantic Region football recruiting analyst for Rivals.com. You can click here to follow him on Twitter.
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