Arizona State transfer making an impact at new school

LOS ANGELES — Eric Gentry dominated in his one and only year at Arizona State in 2021. After his exceptional freshman year, Gentry packed his bags and headed west to USC, where last year he shined once again. In 2022 he played 11 games for the Trojans racking up over 70 total tackles. Now in USC’s 2023 opener against San Jose State, Gentry showed his impact yet again.

Arizona State transfer Gentry making an impact for USC

Gentry is opening the season with limited snaps, thanks to a limited offseason recovering from an ankle surgery. He also is dealing with a lot of competition at the linebacker position. USC brought in Oklahoma State transfer Mason Cobb. The Trojans also returned Shane Lee, a redshirt senior and team captain.

The Trojans have a ton of talent at linebacker, so it’ll be difficult for Gentry to stand out. Especially if you just look at the box score.

Against San Jose State, Gentry only logged two total tackles, one solo and one assist. So let’s look a little deeper.

Gentry played six full drives on Saturday. Here’s how the defense faired.

What kind of impact did LB Eric Gentry have on the #USC defense in the season opener?

Here's the six full drives he played:
Three-and-out (2 yds)
Three-and-out (1 yard)
Two-minute TD (4 play, 46 yds)
Three-and-out (5 yds)
Three-and-out (5 yds)
6 plays, 20 yds (1 first down) pic.twitter.com/nIkczx5DyI

— Shotgun Spratling (@ShotgunSpr) August 28, 2023

Four three-and-outs, 79 total yards, and just one touchdown. Keep in mind San Jose State has a pretty decent offense with the Mountain West Offensive Player of the Year under center.

Safe to say Gentry is a valuable piece of the Trojans’ defense and elevates their play. The junior from Philadelphia also does a great job of using his terrific frame to his advantage. Gentry stands tall, 6’6, and weighs 215 lbs. He can move very fast and with good agility.

The former Sun Devil is a freak of nature and will be making his first return to Tempe on Sept. 23.

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