'24 TN DL Carson Gentle (Tennessee)

#401
#401
Vols_In_Cambridge said:
This kid has been committed since July of 2022. UGA asked him not to commit because they were ready to offer him--and he told them "thanks--but I am committing to Rocky Top." But you think his offer list is suspect? Talk to any college coach about this kid. You might find a handful that would not take him in a second.

This kid has a vertical of 37". A 6'3" 250 kid that runs 4.7 40; has a 4.2 shuttle; a 6.9 3Cone/L-Cone is not slow.

When Josh Heupel asked him to commit, he said they loved Carson's freakish bend and that his quickness and ability to change direction are "elite". I would defer to CJH and GRG.

It would be great if he ran a 4.5 40, but he has never trained to run the 40. He is not going to be an EDGE. He is gong to be a SDE. He is going to weigh about 10 pounds more than he weigh now. This is the same weight as Tyler Baron. No, he does not need to weigh 290. He needs to gain 10 pounds to be ready to play next season.

As for slow--pay attention to this Jaxon and Kingsport's Big Orange Train-- He ran a 6.9 L cone the first camp he ever ran the drill. I want to make sure you understand-- the L Cone and the shuttle are the most important drills for DL/DE/OLB. Look at how many NFL combine D linemen/DE/LB/OLB run a 6.9 L Cone. Then look up why it is important to NFL coaches. Is that slow? No, it is in the top 10% in the NFL combine.

Come one man--that is like a WR that runs a 4.3. 40. Defensive linemen don't need to run the 40, they need to have extraordinary burst, bend, and ability to change direction. They offered this kid when he was 15 because he is freak of nature and asked him to commit when he was 16 for the same reason.

Here is a little experiment for you. Would you take this kid? What about you Jaxon?

6'4"
266
40-4.79
Vertical Jump 33.5’’
Broad Jump 9’ 8’’
3-Cone Drill 7.1
20-Yd Shuttle 4.14

I hope so, that is Nick Bosa at the NFL combine. Now is he slow?
Carson's 40 is roughly the same, Carson's vertical is more, SBJ is the same, Carson is 0.2 faster in the 3 Cone, and Bosa is .05 faster in the shuttle.
Bosa is one inch taller and weighs 14 more pounds --after four more years of working out. Point is--at 17, Carson Gentle is probably closer to Nick Bosa than Nick Bosa was at 17.

Come to Chattanooga and watch Carson play. Stand by the gate as he comes on and off the field. Watch him move. Watch him play against teams loaded with P5 talent. Then, if you think he is average. Fine. but you will not say that. YOu will be blow away.
Carson was one of the first committable offers TN made because the kid is going to help UT win championships, win all sec awards, and play on Sundays.
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You just went into a deep dive and explained a bunch of stuff, that neither of those two will understand 🤣.
Jax and Big Orange Train are two of the silliest people in life.

This kid can do a full split. Championship caliber wrestler and moves like an old school LB except he's 255 with hand violence.

He's one of my favorite recruits and definitely "100 % locked in"

He won't just play SDE. They'll move him around as his body grows. Versatile
 
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#402
#402
sjt18 said:
According to other reports, he has good speed and quickness. Why would you assume that he's "not fast"?
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I watched the game last night and compared to other high school players, his speed didn't get my attention. What I did notice was how he was in the right position to make plays all night. He did not look fast enough to be a SEC LB to me but plenty quick enough to play on the D line. He might can get fast enough to play LB for TN but I think he'll play DT or DE or maybe even DN in college. (His blocking was also superb and I can see him playing TE for Heupel.) He was very fun to watch and I think the VOLS got a good one.
 
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#403
#403
Vols_In_Cambridge said:
This kid has been committed since July of 2022. UGA asked him not to commit because they were ready to offer him--and he told them "thanks--but I am committing to Rocky Top." But you think his offer list is suspect? Talk to any college coach about this kid. You might find a handful that would not take him in a second.

This kid has a vertical of 37". A 6'3" 250 kid that runs 4.7 40; has a 4.2 shuttle; a 6.9 3Cone/L-Cone is not slow.

When Josh Heupel asked him to commit, he said they loved Carson's freakish bend and that his quickness and ability to change direction are "elite". I would defer to CJH and GRG.

It would be great if he ran a 4.5 40, but he has never trained to run the 40. He is not going to be an EDGE. He is gong to be a SDE. He is going to weigh about 10 pounds more than he weigh now. This is the same weight as Tyler Baron. No, he does not need to weigh 290. He needs to gain 10 pounds to be ready to play next season.

As for slow--pay attention to this Jaxon and Kingsport's Big Orange Train-- He ran a 6.9 L cone the first camp he ever ran the drill. I want to make sure you understand-- the L Cone and the shuttle are the most important drills for DL/DE/OLB. Look at how many NFL combine D linemen/DE/LB/OLB run a 6.9 L Cone. Then look up why it is important to NFL coaches. Is that slow? No, it is in the top 10% in the NFL combine.

Come one man--that is like a WR that runs a 4.3. 40. Defensive linemen don't need to run the 40, they need to have extraordinary burst, bend, and ability to change direction. They offered this kid when he was 15 because he is freak of nature and asked him to commit when he was 16 for the same reason.

Here is a little experiment for you. Would you take this kid? What about you Jaxon?

6'4"
266
40-4.79
Vertical Jump 33.5’’
Broad Jump 9’ 8’’
3-Cone Drill 7.1
20-Yd Shuttle 4.14

I hope so, that is Nick Bosa at the NFL combine. Now is he slow?
Carson's 40 is roughly the same, Carson's vertical is more, SBJ is the same, Carson is 0.2 faster in the 3 Cone, and Bosa is .05 faster in the shuttle.
Bosa is one inch taller and weighs 14 more pounds --after four more years of working out. Point is--at 17, Carson Gentle is probably closer to Nick Bosa than Nick Bosa was at 17.

Come to Chattanooga and watch Carson play. Stand by the gate as he comes on and off the field. Watch him move. Watch him play against teams loaded with P5 talent. Then, if you think he is average. Fine. but you will not say that. YOu will be blow away.
Carson was one of the first committable offers TN made because the kid is going to help UT win championships, win all sec awards, and play on Sundays.
Click to expand...
I am way late on this post, but @BigOrangeTrain, you feeling ok from the 1694985845802.gif
You must have suffered from the above post?

Great facts there, VIC. BRAVO
 
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#404
#404
TN-POSSUM said:
I watched the game last night and compared to other high school players, his speed didn't get my attention. What I did notice was how he was in the right position to make plays all night. He did not look fast enough to be a SEC LB to me but plenty quick enough to play on the D line. He might can get fast enough to play LB for TN but I think he'll play DT or DE or maybe even DN in college. (His blocking was also superb and I can see him playing TE for Heupel.) He was very fun to watch and I think the VOLS got a good one.
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I have never looked at him through a LB lens. My assumption has always been that he would play DE or better yet inside.
 
#405
#405
TN-POSSUM said:
I watched the game last night and compared to other high school players, his speed didn't get my attention. What I did notice was how he was in the right position to make plays all night. He did not look fast enough to be a SEC LB to me but plenty quick enough to play on the D line. He might can get fast enough to play LB for TN but I think he'll play DT or DE or maybe even DN in college. (His blocking was also superb and I can see him playing TE for Heupel.) He was very fun to watch and I think the VOLS got a good one.
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Who’s projecting him at LB?
 
#406
#406
sjt18 said:
I have never looked at him through a LB lens. My assumption has always been that he would play DE or better yet inside.
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butchna said:
Who’s projecting him at LB?
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I made a comment Friday night in this thread while watching his high-school game and while he was playing LB. I didn't think he looked very fast but he was in position to make tackles. My observation was of him playing high school football. I've not read this thread but realized after I posted Friday night, that his speed had been a touchy subject for a while.
 
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#407
#407
butchna said:
Who’s projecting him at LB?
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No one on the UT coaching staff or McCallie coaching staff projects him to play LB in college.
He will not play linebacker in college. There is zero chance. He is a SDE. Tennessee has never discussed playing him at TE or LB.
He already weighs 250 pounds with a large frame and lean upper body. He will not get smaller.

He plays LB at McCallie because that is what the team needs him to play. They move him around week to week depending on the what the team needs. He is athletic and understands the defense well, so McCallie can use him in multiple positions to disrupt the game. So, that is what they do.
 
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#408
#408
TN-POSSUM said:
I made a comment Friday night in this thread while watching his high-school game and while he was playing LB. I didn't think he looked very fast but he was in position to make tackles. My observation was of him playing high school football. I've not read this thread but realized after I posted Friday night, that his speed had been a touchy subject for a while.
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I
 
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#409
#409
Vols_In_Cambridge said:
I don't think you are wrong-- he is not "fast for a college LB". I do think if you evaluate his speed as a college SDE, he is fast/quick. So, when other posters say he looks average or slow, I don't think it is a fair evaluation to expect a SDE to run in space like a LB.

Also, keep in mind, of the 140 or so plays in the McCallie v. Brentwood game, he played 100% of the defensive snaps and about 99% of the offensive snaps. At 250 pounds, that has to be a slog.
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Mr Gentle is a Pit Bull on the field just a great football player. He will look great in Tennessee Orange 🍊. In CHRIST Alone
 
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#410
#410
I told you guys over a year ago that CG has some of the best footwork I’ve ever seen for a big man. He does footwork speed
drills better than most RBs and WRs. He isn’t playing the same position in college as in high school. This kid won’t be depth…he will be a stud if he stays healthy. Plus, he plays a TON of minutes.

This kid has ELITE measurables. Killer instinct. He will be a major contributor in his second year. Teams will have to scheme specifically for him. Book it.
 
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#411
#411
Franklin_Vol09 said:
I told you guys over a year ago that CG has some of the best footwork I’ve ever seen for a big man. He does footwork speed
drills better than most RBs and WRs. He isn’t playing the same position in college as in high school. This kid won’t be depth…he will be a stud if he stays healthy. Plus, he plays a TON of minutes.

This kid has ELITE measurables. Killer instinct. He will be a major contributor in his second year. Teams will have to scheme specifically for him. Book it.
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Absolutely.
 
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#416
#416
Vols_In_Cambridge said:
Carson Gentle - Mid Senior Season Highlights

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Continue to be really impressed by Gentle, especially as someone who's viewed as a "bottom of the class" type prospect.

It's well-established across multiple posts ITT that he's incredibly athletic. Before you even get to the gridiron, he's a track & field athlete which very often translates to the type of functional athleticism on the football field that yields strong results. It was a silly picture, but the fact that he can do the splits at whatever size he's at is incredibly impressive and again speaks to the type of athleticism needed at the highest levels of the game. That shows when he's bending off the edge rushing the passer.

Him playing both ways, and also playing both DL and LB on defense, is also really intriguing. What jumps out to me, more than anything else, is how violent he is. He just really, really crushes people when he hits them, often leaving his feet (but not in an undisciplined way like when a basketball player jumps to pass) when delivering a blow.

My only question for him is how big he is/can get, and what his eventual position will be. He's obviously not fast enough to be an SEC-contender type LB, although again the fact that he's playing a lot of snaps there against relatively high level competition in high school is notable. But is he an Edge, a SDE, or eventually does he slide inside. There's nothing wrong with that being an open question IMO given the traits above, but that's going to ultimately determine how good of a player he is here.
 
#417
#417
kamoshika said:
Stats through 7 games: 41 tackles (26 solo), 5 TFL, 1 sack, 2 passes defended, 1 fumble recovery.
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He is playing out of position for sure. He is blitzing from LB on some plays --but does not have his hand on the ground very often. So, he has few sacks. The real number is closer to 4 sacks. He does have at least 20 hits on the QB and a significant number of QB pressures. He disrupts the passing game when he is either playing from DE or regularly blitzing (although most "blitzing" is really a SPY assignment--so it is a delayed blitz). Among those QB hits and pressures, I think 4 of them resulted in interceptions.

His total tackles are higher than what he would probably have if he was at DE--but the Sacks and TFLs are lower.

I do not think regularly dropping him into coverage is the highest and best use for him--but it is high school, and he is a good teammate.
 
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#420
#420
jvols1999 said:
Continue to be really impressed by Gentle, especially as someone who's viewed as a "bottom of the class" type prospect.

It's well-established across multiple posts ITT that he's incredibly athletic. Before you even get to the gridiron, he's a track & field athlete which very often translates to the type of functional athleticism on the football field that yields strong results. It was a silly picture, but the fact that he can do the splits at whatever size he's at is incredibly impressive and again speaks to the type of athleticism needed at the highest levels of the game. That shows when he's bending off the edge rushing the passer.

Him playing both ways, and also playing both DL and LB on defense, is also really intriguing. What jumps out to me, more than anything else, is how violent he is. He just really, really crushes people when he hits them, often leaving his feet (but not in an undisciplined way like when a basketball player jumps to pass) when delivering a blow.

My only question for him is how big he is/can get, and what his eventual position will be. He's obviously not fast enough to be an SEC-contender type LB, although again the fact that he's playing a lot of snaps there against relatively high level competition in high school is notable. But is he an Edge, a SDE, or eventually does he slide inside. There's nothing wrong with that being an open question IMO given the traits above, but that's going to ultimately determine how good of a player he is here.
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Just looking at his Body Mass putting on weight at TN is a given. I see him playing Strong side DE as well as DT so to me he is a 4 tech lining up over OT. Tennessee likes to play multiple fronts based off offense they are playing. In CHRIST Alone
 
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