Josh Heupel isn’t done filling out his roster yet, and once again, he added another player late in the game on Tuesday. Tennessee football added a 2021 preferred walk-on skill player from the other side of the state.
Athlete Jerrod Gentry announced he is headed to Rocky Top. Gentry has spent the past year as a wide receiver and a defensive back at Briarcrest High School, which is located in Eads, Tenn., just outside of Memphis.
Standing at 6’0″ and around 195 pounds, Gentry doesn’t have any ratings on Rivals, ESPN or 247Sports. However, don’t count out his chance to make an impact. He revealed his decision to join Tennessee football with a post on Twitter.
Thank you God!! #GBO🍊 pic.twitter.com/4wAlwU5nG2
— Jerrod Gentry (@unojerr) April 20, 2021
Although he is a walk-on with no ratings, Gentry’s ability to play defensive back is a welcome one for Heupel and his staff. Losing Bryce Thompson and Shawn Shamburger has created lots of questions in the secondary, especially given how much it struggled last year with Shamburger not playing much of the season anyway.
Gentry joining the roster isn’t going to stand out, but the Vols need some long-term depth there. As a result, he could definitely provide some value, and this team has found some talent in the ranks of walk-ons in the past.
According to MaxPreps, Gentry has 1,036 career receiving yards, 10 receiving touchdowns, six interceptions and 35 total tackles, 24 of which were solo. This past year alone, as a senior, he had 877 receiving yards, eight receiving touchdowns, 136 kickoff return yards, three interceptions and 25 tackles, 16 of which were solo. Here is a look at his highlight reel.
As you can see, Gentry has solid instincts and is great at positioning. He’s also not afraid to tackle, which is a big plus for a defensive back. Playing so far off receivers suggests speed is a big question for him, and you can’t teach that, but that doesn’t mean he couldn’t be an asset.
Going forward, it’s always hard to predict how walk-ons will turn out. However, Tennessee football could definitely use one with the versatility and physicality that Gentry has. Given how new everything is, don’t count out a player like him.