A point of emphasis for Josh Heupel upon arriving at Tennessee was that he wanted to recruit the Volunteer State well. Heupel identified the importance of keeping talent home for his program, addressing it in his opening press conference. The 2022 recruiting class saw Tennessee miss out on a large number of in-state prospects Tennessee would have liked to land, but that was hardly Heupel’s fault. The previous staff had burnt some serious bridges for in-state recruiting, and hadn’t prioritized many of the players in Tennessee. There was also the looming NCAA investigation, and Heupel had an uphill battle for his first in-state class. The 2023 cycle has seen Heupel have more success in Tennessee, but it appears that Heupel is keeping his word with how the 2024 class is shaping up. The first commitment in that group is Carson Gentle, a defensive end from McCallie School in Chattanooga, TN.
Gentle is a prospect that should see his ratings and stock drastically increase over his junior and senior campaigns with the Blue Tornado. Currently at 6’4” and 250 pounds, Gentle passes the eyeball test for an SEC defensive lineman with flying colors, though that wasn’t always the case. Gentle was just learning the defensive end position as a freshman, and he spent his sophomore season working at linebacker. Gentle worked hard to develop his technique, and the commitment to his craft showed on film. He consistently used his hands well, played with good leverage, diagnosed plays quickly, tackled well, and showed a relentless motor. Being a bit undersized, he was a good player thanks to his technique and hard work. The year between his sophomore and junior campaign, however, has seen Gentle make an impressive physical development to his body. Now he possesses the size, strength, and speed to go with the outstanding technique he had already developed. In short, the physical talent is now present on the same level as the excellent technique and fierce work ethic. That translates to Gentle being an absolute nightmare for offensive tackles.
McCallie opened their season against Chattanooga Christian, and it didn’t take long for Gentle to make an impact and set a tone for the night. In fact, it took exactly one play from scrimmage, as Gentle opened the season with a sack of the Charger quarterback. That relentless pressure continues from Gentle all night. He showed his ability to power tackles back into the backfield on bull rushes, the speed to get around the outside shoulder, quickness and awareness to set a tackle up outside and then cross his face to the inside, and to get off blocks and pursue then tackle like a linebacker. Gentle already has an excellent rip and swim move, and his hand usage is already on par with the SEC level.
Now, don’t expect Tennessee defensive line coach Rodney Garner to feel that way. Garner is one of the most highly regarded developers of talent on the defensive line in the history of college football. He knows what it takes to be an exceptional defensive lineman in the SEC, and he wanted Gentle for his unit. Garner will continue to try to develop Gentle, but it is clear he sees something in him, something he noticed before many other programs did.
Gentle seems to be a perfect fit as a Rodney Garner defensive end. He has great size, good strength, burst, and a relentless work ethic. He is the kind of player that Garner can get the absolute most out of, and for a young man like Gentle, that is quite a lot. Tennessee fans may be concerned that Gentle’s rising stock could see other programs try to snipe him in the time between now and his signing day, but they should breathe a little easier knowing Gentle, “Has been a Tennessee for all my life. Playing there is kind of the dream come true.” Carson Gentle certainly ticks every box Tennessee is looking for, and watching his trajectory before arriving in Knoxville should prove interesting.
