Zach Gentry (image via MLive)
Name: Zach Gentry
Height: 6’7″
Weight: 244 lbs.
High school: Albuquerque (NM) Eldorado
Position: Tight end
Class: Redshirt freshman
Jersey number: #10
Last year: I ranked Gentry #45 and said he would be a situational quarterback (LINK). He redshirted.
In one of my most overvalued posts last year, I put Gentry at #45. Without a clear pecking order at quarterback and lacking big-play guys on offense, I thought he could provide a spark as a run-first quarterback in the mold of a leaner Blake Bell. That turned out not to be necessary, and Jim Harbaugh didn’t rely much on designed quarterback runs to move the ball. Gentry ended up redshirting while Jake Rudock took the vast majority of snaps, and Wilton Speight filling in here or there.
This off-season Gentry moved to tight end. It looks like his quarterback days might be finished. He’s listed at 244 lbs., but you wouldn’t guess that by looking at his frame. He might not look like a real tight end until he adds another 15 lbs. or so, because he looked like a tall receiver . . . or a skinny quarterback . . . or, well, a freshman tight end, I guess. He struggled to catch the ball, and his routes weren’t sharp. Those things might improve over the summer, but Michigan has so many tight ends that I don’t see Gentry as a big-time contributor this season. He might be the tallest guy, and he might be the fastest guy, but he’s not well rounded yet. I think the coaches will get his feet wet in certain packages, situations, or games, but I expect him to mostly watch from the sideline.
Prediction: Backup tight end
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I think Gentry’s main function this year will be to allow the coaches to redshirt McKeon and Eubanks. With Butt, Bunting, Wheatley and probably Asiasi filling up the depth chart, we’re not likely to need him as anything more than a 5th stringer, so how good does he have to be?
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He’s going to be more raw than most of the freshman TEs that are coming in. Obviously he can’t red-shirt again but I can’t imagine he’s going to take any meaningful snaps. The ranking seems high to me.
But who knows! Maybe they’ll design a tricky TE-pass play for him. Call it the Reimersma.
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He may very well be, but I doubt McKeon or Eubanks would be any better than fifth on the depth chart either, barring injuries. They’ve got some promise, but both need work and beefing up. No need to burn redshirts just to get them a few meaningless snaps, especially when they probably won’t be seriously needed until 2018 at the earliest.
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Mckeon is more proven as a blocker. Eubanks more proven as a WR. Even if Gentry has a physical advantage (possible but not a sure thing), he’s still inexperienced.
I’m not saying Michigan needs to play freshman over Gentry. I’m saying in those guys can man the 4th/5th TE job just as well. I rank Jocz over all of them for 2016.
My TE rank: Butt-Wheatley-Assiasi-Bunting-Jocz-Eubanks-McKeon-Gentry
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Less probable than conceivable; if Gentry learns to catch the ball he could be used in jump ball situations in the red zone or in a TE fullhouse.
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Of course, we already have Bunting for that, who’s just as tall, with better hands, and some experience playing the position
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Or Shane Morris
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[that was sarcasm]
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Even more so than Morris, Gentry is the guy Harbaugh/Fischer/Drevno/Wheatley could design some crazy around. You can put the double pass in for him. You could motion him to the slot and cause nightmares as I think he’s fast enough to quick reverse away from an overload. You could even line him up outside just to mess with people here and there. I’d be looking for something to get Gentry coming one on one against your 5’9″ 185 lb CB at least once a game then next year, all day.
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