Incarnate Word is coming off their first outright conference championship at the FCS level, but head coach Eric Morris left to take the offensive coordinator position at Washington State. Jerry Rice Award winner & FCS All-American Cameron Ward followed Morris to Washington State, so the Cardinals aimed to revamp the offense this offseason.
Running back was one of the biggest needs for Incarnate Word after both leading rushers from last season graduated. Kevin Brown and Marcus Cooper combined for over 1500 rushing yards and 20 rushing touchdowns last season. Tyrese Brown is the leading returning rusher for the Cardinals with only 15 carries for less than 50 total yards.
The Cardinals received a huge boost at the RB spot after Caleb Berry announced his commitment to the Cardinals last weekend on social media.
Berry was a 3-star prospect out of Lufkin, TX in the class of 2021. The 6-foot-1 225-pound running back ranked as a Top-70 RB in the country and Top-150 player in the state of Texas. Berry held offers from Washington, Arkansas, Boise State, Colorado State, & Hawaii. He announced his commitment to the Huskies in December of 2020.
Berry rushed for over 1400 yards and 24 touchdowns in his final two seasons, but his senior season was cut short due to injury. As a junior, Berry earned Texas District 8-5A D-I second-team honors after leading Lufkin to a 1st round playoff appearance and a 9-2 overall record.
Berry did not see any game action for a Washington team who went 4-8 in 2021 after head coach Jimmy Lake was fired early in the season. The potential is extremely high for Berry in this Incarnate Word offense going into the 2022 season. The competition should be an interesting storyline to follow throughout the summer and fall for the Cardinals. Marcus Cooper, Jarrell Wiley, & Tyrese Brown will compete with Berry for the RB1 spot for the 2022 season.
About The Author
