75 days until Michigan football: Andrew Gentry can win a starting job this fall
There are 75 days until the defending national champion Michigan Wolverines football team takes the field in the Aug. 31 opener against Fresno State. Each day until then, we’ll discuss current Michigan events, the upcoming season and/or take a look at a significant number that correlates with how many days remain until kickoff, whether it be a player’s jersey number, a year, a date, a score, etc.
The Michigan Wolverines have an offensive line question to sort out with replacing all five starters from last year’s run to a national title. One of the spots up for grabs is at right tackle, where junior Andrew Gentry is projected to take a step forward with an expanded role in the cards.
Gentry appeared in 15 games last season with three appearances at right tackle, one at left tackle and three at guard in addition to a role on special teams. Standing at 6-7, 327 pounds, his versatility is what gives him a great shot to be one of Michigan’s best five players on the offensive line by the time fall camp breaks.
“It’s been awesome to see him be able to compete,” offensive line coach Grant Newsome said during spring ball. “And I think the other thing for him now going into this third year in the program is that taking that mission, he was out of football for two years. It’s been awesome to see that he’s kind of got his strength back, and I think he’s able to compete at a high level.”
Gentry joined Michigan in 2022 after a two-year mission trip after graduating from Columbine High School in Colorado in 2020. He was one of the highest-regarded tackles in his class with the On3 Industry Ranking naming him a four-star prospect and the No. 63 overall player in the nation, ranking seventh among offensive tackles.
It took some time to get him back physically, but two full years of work with Ben Herbert and the last several months with Justin Tress could be what helps unlock his full potential.
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“It’s been awesome to see that he’s kind of got his strength back and I think he’s able to compete at a high level,” Newsome said. “He’s been playing well and we’re excited to see how he and some of the other guys I mentioned before battle it out the rest of spring.”
Most believe that Myles Hinton will start on the left side with Gentry as the favorite at right tackle for Michigan. His direct competition could be senior Jeffrey Persi, while sophomore Evan Link could be a dark horse. Still, Gentry has the ability to step in and handle the job.
A lot of what he does harkens back to Andrew Stueber, who played both tackle and guard at Michigan. The Wolverines would take that level of play in a heartbeat if they knew it was on the way.
Michigan football countdown to kickoff
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