The recruitment of Littleton, Colorado offensive lineman Andrew Gentry has been taking off for quite a while. Recently, it's been Tennessee jumping into the race to see if they can catch the attention of the 40th overall player in the class of 2020.
"I'm learning more and more," Gentry said. "Obviously they have had a good program down in the south and football is definitely big down there."
Tennessee offensive line coach Will Friend stopped by Columbine High earlier this week to check in on Gentry. The two have recently picked up their conversation as Friend tries to make a move to get Gentry on campus.
"He reached out to me over twitter and we have talked some and then they offered," Gentry said. "I think I want to come out and visit Tennessee. I have to check out my dates and figure out my timing on all my visits. They are definitely someone I'd like to check out. Coach Friend just tells me that Tennessee is on the rise and they have a new offensive coordinator from Georgia. They are going to be a prominent team here shortly."
Gentry is at a spot in his recruitment where he is trying to find his footing and get a good feel for what he is looking for in a future football home.
"I'm trying to find a good mix," Gentry said. "I want to find a good coach that I can build a relationship with and work with that I trust. I also want to find a school that I can get a good education and still play right way as well."
Gentry is a mountain from the mountains. At 6-foot-8 and 305 pounds, he shows not only size, but athletic ability in the offensive trenches.
"I think my best attributes are my size and athleticism," Gentry said. "Coaches say they the way I move and how I move my body being so long. I'm athletic as well and they like the way I finish my blocks. That's something I really pride myself in."
And the question is always raised with prospects looking to potentially flip sides of the country. Can Gentry see himself heading that far east?
"I'm open to go where I'm comfortable," Gentry said. "Being close to home isn't that big of a factor to me."
And when the time comes to make a decision, Gentry will rely on those closest to him to guide his decision.
"I'm going to rely on my parents and my relationships with the coaches," Gentry said. "Plus I think I'll rely on my gut and the feeling I get when I'm around coaches, the school itself."
Gentry plans on taking some trips this spring and summer in an effort to figure out his destination sooner rather than later.
"My goal is to try and be done before my senior season," Gentry said. "Just to focus on senior season and one last run with my teammates and hopefully we can make that a special run and have fun. Just get the recruiting out of the way and focus on that."
