The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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MAY 2024 ❱ THE WOLVERINE 25 BY JOHN BORTON A n d rew G e n t ry i s n 't a ny stranger to a mission-like focus in a team effort. He prepped for Michigan foot- ball by helping others in need, and now sees a different sort of opportunity in a vastly different arena. The 6-foot-7, 327-pound offensive lineman whose Mormon mission de- layed his arrival in Ann Arbor for two years sees a chance to help rebuild a national championship offensive line swept clean by attrition. Six Wolver- ines who started games last season now anticipate getting drafted into the NFL. In their stead, it's not a collection of freshmen and on-field rookies looking to step in. It's an aggregation of veter- ans who've been laboring for years to position themselves as the next wave of Michigan maulers up front. Gentry wants to be one of them. He knows the cupboard isn't bare, even with the bully boys from the national title team now seeking to flip their pancakes elsewhere. "The coaches have always done a great job of letting us know that no spot is ever safe," Gentry stressed. "There's always competition, no matter who you are or how long you've been here. We all kind of knew that last year. But when you get guys like Zak Zinter and Trevor Keegan, those guys are going to be on the field playing because they've earned that right. "So, I think there was a little bit of a different mentality, knowing that com- ing into the spring there were open spots, and competition. But the mentality the coaches have done a great job with is no matter what, you're going to come in and play your best, compete your hardest. Competition-wise, guys are still com- peting at the same level, but I think there is definitely an added layer, when you know there are going to be spots open and opportunities to play come fall." Gentry himself might not have been ready in the Big Ten championship sea- sons of 2022 and 2023, the latter obvi- ously finding Michigan at the top of the college football world. Coming off his church mission, Gentry needed to focus on regaining his football touch, getting bigger, stronger, improving his timing and recapturing the on-field swagger that made him the No. 1 player from the state of Colorado in 2020, by multiple sources. The Littleton, Colo., native feels like he's getting his feet under him now. He's primarily playing right tackle in spring practice, with some snaps at right guard mixed in. "So far, so good," he said. "There's al- ways room for improvement, right? I'm never going to say I'm playing perfectly, but I've learned a ton. That's what spring ball is for, coming in and competing. We've got great offensive linemen, and we're going to continue that tradition of great Michigan offensive lines. There's going to be competition at any spot, no matter what time of year it is. "All in all, I think it's been a good spring. Just learning a lot, trying to become a better offensive lineman, and getting a chance to compete. It's what I love, and what I've loved doing this spring." THE TEAM, THE TEAM, THE TEAM Gentry certainly enjoyed his second season in a Michigan uniform, even though the Wolverines' starters up front were firmly fixed. He played in all 15 Michigan games on special teams, while making seven offensive line appear- ances, including both tackle spots, right guard and as a sixth offensive lineman in then-offensive line coach Sherrone Moore's brute squad. It never hurts team morale to go unde- feated and hoist the trophy only one team gets to touch. The Wolverines did just that, Gentry and his teammates coming away with memories for a lifetime. "Last season was unbelievable," he said. "Everybody could notice that from the outside perspective, looking on. Ev- erything that went on — it was a historic season for each of us. Just to be part of the team was unbelievable. "I wasn't a starter, and got in a couple of games, but it was a great experience for me, just learning from some of the best players in the country, in terms of offensive linemen. I learned things from each of those guys, and was able to be in backup roles to basically all of them, ex- cept Drake [Nugent] at center. I learned different styles from all of them. How to be a better football player. How to be a better person, too. "For me, just in terms of personal development it was huge. But also be- ing on a remarkable team with a lot of memories and a lot of great moments is something I'll never forget. It's defi- nitely the most fun I've had playing football in a long time. I loved it." Two distinct memories will stay with Gentry forever, in addition to the fi- nal-game victory. For him, the adver- sity Michigan faced in Happy Valley — forced to play without its head coach, in one of the nation's tougher venues — added to the sweet taste of victory. "Everything leading up to that game — with Coach [Jim] Harbaugh's sus- pension, the hype around that game, and going on the road against a really good Penn State team, going into that hostile environment — that really was the pinnacle of 'Michigan vs. Every- body' at that point," Gentry assured. "The emotion of that game sticks out." Not to mention the physicality. The Wolverines never threw once in the sec- ond half, running the ball 32 straight times. For an offensive lineman, that's their own little slice of heaven. "It is so much fun," Gentry said. "As an O-lineman, that's kind of the brand I tried to build for myself. Coming out of high school, coming out of a run-happy offense, it was one of the reasons I liked Michigan so well. Offensive linemen just having that mentality of, I'm going to be bigger, better, faster and stron- MISSION: POSSIBLE Andrew Gentry Prepping To Lend A Hand, Once Again