Alex Grinch reveals early impressions of transfer linebacker Eric Gentry

After several weeks of fall camp, the staff at USC is patting itself on the back for the win they scored in adding linebacker Eric Gentry from Arizona State. Defensive coordinator Alex Grinch shared his early impressions of the LB after practice as the Trojans near the end of fall camp.

“I’m very impressed with him,” Grinch said of Gentry on Thursday. “You can tell he’s played football at our level, you know. The difference between a freshman and a sophomore, there is no greater difference. You see that. I give him a lot of credit. He didn’t have the spring with us.

“Coming out here and picking things up as well as he has in a short time, it has been a real bright spot for us… We’re excited about Eric.”

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Gentry was a consensus Freshman All-American last season with the Sun Devils. He finished with 45 tackles, including five for loss, with two pass deflections.

He was one of the hottest transfers in the 2022 transfer portal after finishing sixth on the Sun Devils’ defense.

Lincoln Riley details what makes Eric Gentry special

Lincoln Riley also praised the 6-foot-6 linebacker this week. He noted his athleticism for his size and said he’s picked up on the defensive scheme rapidly since his move this offseason.

“Eric’s doing good,” Riley said after practice on Tuesday. “His length and his play-making ability, nose for the ball, really stick out. It’s rare to have a guy on your defense that has that type of length with that type of athleticism. You love it defensively, you love his instincts, he’s getting more comfortable in the system and making less mistakes. He’s doing a really nice job.”

In 2021, Gentry played behind one of Arizona State’s best defensive players but saw more and more time as the season went on due to injuries on the roster.

He’s a Philadelphia native and chose Arizona State over 15 other D-I offers, despite the distance from home. According to the On3 Consensus for the 2021 class, Gentry was a three-star prospect and the No. 63 linebacker in that recruiting cycle.