Tag: Eric Gentry

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:

USC gets good news on Eric Gentry and Mario Williams two days before UCLA game

Late Thursday morning in L.A., Lincoln Riley’s view of Eric Gentry’s availability for UCLA was positive, though not 100% definitive. #USC

The USC Trojans badly need Eric Gentry on the field for Saturday’s huge game against the UCLA Bruins in Pasadena. When the Trojans take the field at the Rose Bowl against the Bruins, they need Gentry’s high football IQ.

They need his leadership. They need his long strides, which can make up ground in closing down holes in the running game and in providing downfield pass coverage. They need his long arms, which get into passing lanes and deflect balls which are intercepted by his USC teammates in the secondary.

Lincoln Riley provided a new update on Gentry’s health status, as well as Mario Williams, two days before the UCLA contest. We have that news for you, plus some other USC football updates and insights:

Lincoln Riley addresses health status of Eric Gentry, Mario Williams for UCLA game

Eric Gentry has not been officially cleared to play vs UCLA as of Tuesday at lunchtime, but Lincoln Riley is cautiously optimistic. #USC

USC is preparing to face a UCLA offense which has elite talent. Dorian Thompson-Robinson and Zach Charbonnet are a load to handle. Jake Bobo is a high-quality pass catcher. UCLA has other depth pieces at the skill positions which provide speed and open-field prowess. The Trojans figure to have their hands full on defense as it is.

If they don’t have Eric Gentry on the field — and in reasonably good shape — for this game, their task will be a lot more difficult.

Gentry was injured late in the Oct. 15 loss at Utah. Though he was listed as day to day for the Arizona game, it never seemed likely he would play in that game.

Now that UCLA week is here, Gentry — who didn’t play versus Cal or Colorado — is truly needed. Lincon Riley updated reporters on his status. Get that and a lot more notes on USC heading into the UCLA game:

USC got some players back vs Colorado, but questions linger heading into UCLA

Let’s give you an update of the important non-Travis Dye injury situations heading into UCLA. It’s Bruin Week now.

The Travis Dye injury was and is the huge story for USC in the Colorado game, and we have a bunch of stories this Saturday morning on that crushing turn of events. We do have other important items to cover, however, and the best place to start is the collection of other injury and player availability situations facing the Trojans with UCLA Game Week now upon us.

USC needs all hands on deck against the Bruins. It’s the defining game of the season even when the Trojans and Bruins aren’t very good. This year, of course, they are both very good. The winner likely gets a spot opposite Oregon in the Pac-12 Championship Game. The winner might also have a good shot at a New Year’s Six bowl bid.

Let’s give you a look at the other important non-Travis Dye injury situations at USC:

USC defense, missing Eric Gentry and several other players, hangs on and survives vs Arizona

This was pure survival for #USC. No one was expecting a good performance once it became known that Eric Gentry and Ralen Goforth were both ruled out vs Arizona.

Survival.

That’s what this game against Arizona was for USC’s defense.

It’s weird: The Trojans had a week off. Presumably, this gave them a chance to get healthy. Yet, while it was already known that Eric Gentry — injured against Utah — might not play against Arizona, fellow linebacker Ralen Goforth was also ruled out for this game in Tucson.

Shane Lee is still not 100-percent healthy.

Korey Foreman was out and therefore not able to give USC an extra body on its front seven. This is in addition to Romello Height being out for the season.

USC wasn’t going to play a great defensive game. It just had to be good enough.

It was.

Let’s look at how the evening unfolded in Tucson: