Tag: Eric Gentry

Eric Gentry hints at return for Las Vegas Bowl

Eric Gentry could play in the Las Vegas Bowl without burning his redshirt status for 2025.

It was recently announced that USC football will conclude its 2024 season with a matchup against Texas A&M in the Las Vegas Bowl. The Trojans have not had Eric Gentry on the field for the past two months. Is that actually going to change for the bowl game?

While an exciting matchup on paper, the status of the Trojans’ roster for the game against Texas A&M is very much up in the air. With a dozen players already in the transfer portal and questions regarding which NFL-bound guys will suit up for one final game, USC’s roster is likely to be a shell of itself when the Trojans take the field in Las Vegas on December 27.

However, it appears the Trojans may be getting one piece of good news with regard to their bowl game roster in the potential return of Eric Gentry.

Gentry was one of USC’s top defensive players through the first four games of the year. After dealing with concussions, however, Gentry announced his plan to redshirt the season and come back next year.

At the time of the announcement, it was presumed that Gentry was done for 2024. Last week, however, he fired off a series of tweets suggesting that he could return for the Vegas Bowl, including one that simply read, “Bowl Gameeeeeee”.

Gentry has already appeared in four games, the maximum number that would allow him to preserve his redshirt. However, the NCAA changed its policy within the last two years so that bowl games do not count toward this requirement, meaning that Gentry could play in the game and still be eligible to return next year.

USC and Texas A&M will square off at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on Friday, December 27 at 7:30 p.m. Pacific time.

USC linebacker Eric Gentry announces redshirt due to concussion-based concerns

Eric Gentry will redshirt this year. USC fans will at least be relieved to know that Gentry appears intent on staying with the Trojans in 2025, at least for now.

The news is now official. It was hinted at and speculated about, but now we know it for sure: USC linebacker Eric Gentry, having suffered a concussion and being concerned about his overall health, has decided to redshirt this year, having not played more than four games in the 2024 season. Gentry made the announcement on social media. This adds to USC’s miserable run of injury-related luck in recent days. Anthony Lucas was ruled out for the season earlier on Tuesday after limping off the field Saturday against Penn State.

Eric Gentry was USC’s best defensive player when he was on the field for the Trojans in the month of September. The Trojans’ defense was strong and robust. Gentry’s absence was impossible to ignore in the fourth quarter of the loss against Minnesota, and in the loss to Penn State this past weekend. Gentry obviously made USC a lot better, and now the Trojans have to play the rest of the season without him. USC wasn’t able to win close games each of the past two weekends, which takes away any margin for error this team has in the attempt to get a 9-3 record. That’s the best USC can do under the circumstances in what has been a very difficult season for the program and head coach Lincoln Riley.

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Eric Gentry is thriving in D’Anton Lynn’s defense

D’Anton Lynn and Matt Entz have unlocked Eric Gentry’s potential at USC. It shows how much a player development model, done right, can mean.

USC’s 6-foot-6 senior linebacker, Eric Gentry, transferred to USC from Arizona State in 2022. The Philly Freak, a nickname he received in reference to both his hometown and his dynamic athleticism for his size, has been a force to be reckoned with on the defensive side of the ball this season. Gentry, thanks to the development and teaching he has received at USC from D’Anton Lynn, is leading the Big Ten Conference in tackles for loss (2.2 per game) and solo tackles (6.0 per game). His impressive performances have not gone unnoticed, as he currently ranks second in the nation in tackles for loss and 10th in solo tackles.

In a recent game, Gentry showcased his exceptional tackling skills, leading the team with 12 tackles, including three tackles for loss of eight yards and a sack for minus six yards. He also recorded a forced fumble and a fumble recovery, further solidifying his status as a defensive playmaker.

Gentry’s standout performance this season is a continuation of his impressive collegiate career. In his three-year collegiate career, which includes one year at Arizona State and two years at USC, Gentry has amassed 162 tackles, including 13 for loss and four sacks. His versatility is evident in his contributions, as he has also recorded 10 pass breakups, three quarterback hurries, three forced fumbles, two interceptions, and a blocked kick while appearing in 34 games with 15 starts.

Last season, Gentry played in 11 games, making three starts. During that time, he recorded 46 tackles, including four for loss of 16 yards and a sack. He also added five pass breakups, an interception, a forced fumble, and a blocked kick to his impressive resume.

Gentry’s journey began at Saints Neumann Goretti High School in Philadelphia, where he played both linebacker and defensive end. His talent and dedication earned him recognition as a consensus freshman All-American in 2021 while at Arizona State.

Eric Gentry’s exceptional tackling abilities and his impact on the USC defense have made him a valuable asset to the team. As the season progresses, his performances will undoubtedly continue to shine as he strives to lead his team to success.

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Linebackers need to take the next step in their evolution at USC

There is room to grow for the USC linebackers in 2024.

It’s the time of year when college football fans read preseason magazines from publishers such as Phil Steele. If you have read the legendary college football analyst and magazine architect, you know that Steele views the USC linebackers as the No. 32 linebacker room in the country heading into the 2024 season. That’s good, but there’s certainly room for growth and evolution.

Easton Mascarenas-Arnold was a First Team All-Pac-12 selection in 2023 at Oregon State. Mascarenas-Arnold racked up 106 tackles and 11 of them were TFLs.  He will likely play alongside Mason Cobb, who was a Second Team All-Big 12 selection in 2022 at Oklahoma State.  Eric Gentry was a Freshman All-American at Arizona State  before back-to-back injury-filled seasons at USC. Can Matt Entz and Lynn bring Cobb back to his 96 tackles and 13 TFLs before he played in the dysfunction that was USC’s defense last year? Can Gentry stay healthy and consistently be the disruptive force we have seen when he is 100%?

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USC’s Eric Gentry is excited about 2024 and Trojans’ new defensive identity

Eric Gentry is saying things which should make USC fans very, very happy.

The USC Trojans are preparing for their football spring game on Saturday. Veteran linebacker Eric Gentry is saying things which should have Trojan fans excited for what is to come.

Gentry told assembled media members that “no one wants camp to be done.” That’s a great thing for fans to hear from a player near the end of spring ball. Players relishing competition and enjoying the challenge of being pushed and tested by a new defensive coaching staff is exactly what USC fans wanted to hear. If we are going to see a new-look Eric Gentry and a new-look USC defense, the Trojans are poised to be significantly better on defense than they were in 2023 under Alex Grinch.

Gentry also added that he has been playing more than just linebacker in spring practice, pointing to possible usage as an edge rusher. Gentry disclosed that USC defensive players are doing 116 extra reps after practice, a constant reminder that USC finished No. 116 in the FBS in total defense last season.

We’ll get to see in the spring game just how much progress Eric Gentry and the defense have made.

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D’Anton Lynn emphasizes versatility in his scheme for USC football

Trojans Wire’s Tim Prangley gathered quotes from D’Anton Lynn after USC spring practice on March 21.

USC defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn recently talked at spring football practice about how much he values versatility.

When he was asked about ideal traits he is looking for in possible secondary transfers, Lynn explained, “Playing experience, you know, speed. We like guys that can stay on top on the outside. Size. We wanted to get some more length on the outside, and then we just want to keep improving our versatility. There’s obviously going to be some guys who play corner only, but the more guys you can have that can do both the better.”

Consider Eric Gentry’s place in Lynn’s USC defense.

Lynn has explained in the past that he sees Eric Gentry as a guy who can play all three linebacker positions: MIKE, SAM and WILL.

When he was asked on Thursday after practice about how he sees Gentry in the defense, Lynn shared this:

“Never coached a guy like him before but I’m excited, you know. He’s a guy that when the pads come on we’re excited to see what he does, and that’s on us to try to find ways to get him to make plays on the field.”

Lynn added this on Jaylin Smith, who figures to be an important piece of the puzzle in the USC secondary:

“He’s a unique guy, he really is a defensive back,” Lynn said. “He’s a guy that can play safety, he’s done that in the past. He can play nickel. He can play corner, so right now we’re kind of moving him around at a couple spots trying to find exactly what’s going to be his home, but he’s definitely going to be a guy that doesn’t just do one thing.”

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BREAKING: Eric Gentry will not play for USC against Oregon

Gulp.

As though USC didn’t have enough bad news and enough depressing plot points to contemplate near the end of a failed season, now comes even more bleak and unwelcome information.

USC linebacker Eric Gentry won’t play in Saturday’s game against Oregon, per Chris Trevino of 247Sports.

Gentry is one of the few players on the USC defense who has made some impactful plays in recent weeks. His deflection of a Michael Penix pass caused a USC interception last week against the Washington Huskies. Gentry has forced turnovers, blocked a punt, and made some other real contributions to the Trojans this season. He hasn’t been spectacular, but on an underperforming unit, he has been better than most of his teammates. Fans and commentators both think he needed to play more often and remain on the field to give the Trojans a boost.

His absence does not bode well for USC against Oregon’s powerful and explosive offense.

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Eric Gentry has added weight and muscle … and inner peace

Fans can see Eric Gentry has bulked up after a 2022 season in which Utah overpowered him. What fans can’t see: a calmer athlete.

Eric Gentry was injured in the October Utah game last season with USC. He returned to the lineup late in the season and played in the Pac-12 Championship Game against Utah. He wasn’t ready. Utah physically overpowered him.

Gentry’s speed and length are his foremost attributes. Long arms and long strides enable him to cover ground and deflect passes. Plays involving speed, reach, and quickness were — and are — his wheelhouse. Plays which involved pure power and being able to fight through bodies to either make a hit or enable a teammate to finish off a tackle? That’s where Gentry struggled, and it really showed up against the power of the Utes, who beat USC twice last year and very plainly prevented the Trojans from making the College Football Playoff.

Gentry knew where — and how — he had to improve in the offseason as he recovered from an injury. He was recently listed at 6-7 and 223 pounds, evidence of a substantial weight and muscle gain. That’s important. What’s also important: being more mature.

Gentry talked about his physical and mental improvements with 247Sports:

“I feel like I pushed myself to my limit this offseason. I feel like he was the reason I was able to do that. I feel like I couldn’t have done more. Weight room wise or any of that. I did as much as I could on the field,” said Gentry. “I really look back at the offseason and feel I did as much as I can. Coach (Bennie) Wylie just really gave me a reality check, Day 1 in January.

“We had like an hour conversation just about everything I need to work on, life in general. It was a real good [conversation] obviously for sure. Not even just young man to a grown man but just in general player to coach. It was really just a real good [conversation] that I feel like really opened my eyes.”

Gentry discussed feeling calmer on the field:

“I’m really trying to not be that emotional leader anyone, more on-the-field type of stuff,” he said. “It’s good to be an emotional leader, but you [can] get riled up and still not play [well]. You’ll be good for one play then be done. It’s more calm right now. There is so much different I know now than I did last year. It’s maturity. It’s maturity for sure.

“I think I was too worried about what everybody else was doing last year. I feel like I was too worried about what people thought of me, not playing as comfortable,” he added. “It’s really about being self-centered and going back to myself…I feel way more calm.”

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Mason Cobb won’t get overpowered in the run game, giving USC toughness at linebacker

Mason Cobb owns specific qualities Eric Gentry doesn’t have. #USC didn’t just get a quality player; it filled very specific needs. We talked to @MarkRogersTV:

USC didn’t just get a top-rated linebacker in the transfer portal when it landed Mason Cobb from Oklahoma State. The Trojans already have Eric Gentry, a nimble and swift linebacker whose long reach can deflect a lot of passes and whose long strides enable him to cover a lot of ground in pass coverage. Gentry was a really good pass-defending linebacker.

USC needed a bruising linebacker who would hold up better in run support and can give the Trojans more physical heft in the tackle box.

That’s the kind of linebacker Mason Cobb is. Cobb was a tackling machine at Oklahoma State. Let’s keep in mind that in the latter part of the 2022 USC season, safety Bryson Shaw was one of USC’s leading tacklers. That might seem impressive, but if a safety is making lots of tackles, that means the linebackers aren’t making as many tackles. A lot of tackles were missed at a linebacker spot which was thin due to injuries and overall limitations.

Mason Cobb addresses that specific problem.

We talked about this with Mark Rogers at The Voice of College Football:

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With Travis Dye injured, Jordan Addison returned to full strength just in time for USC

The Travis Dye and Eric Gentry injuries hurt #USC a lot vs UCLA, but Jordan Addison regaining full health compensated. It was just enough to win.

USC came into the UCLA game knowing Travis Dye would not play. To be sure, Austin Jones needed to play well, and he definitely did, rushing for over 100 yards and cracking the end zone. However, we all know where USC’s bread is most centrally buttered: in the passing game with Caleb Williams throwing the rock.

Williams threw for 470 yards and completed 74.4 percent of his passes against UCLA. The Trojans amassed over 640 yards. The central engine of their offense is Williams, and when that engine is roaring, we all know who the big dog is for the Trojans on the receiving end of Caleb’s aerials:

the man who was injured the past few weeks and needed the Arizona-Cal-Colorado soft schedule to quietly recuperate and gear up for UCLA.

It’s an interesting and important plot twist for USC: We wondered if Eric Gentry would be a factor against the Bruins. We knew the Travis Dye injury would limit USC. Gentry seemed to be the compensatory piece USC needed to get healthy for this game.

No.

Jordan Addison getting back to full strength was enough — albeit barely — to win the day for the Trojans on a night when Gentry wasn’t anywhere close to full health.

Here’s more on Addison’s night plus a lot of other USC stories in this Trojan notebook on the UCLA game: