Redshirt junior tight end Zach Gentry has had an interesting journey at Michigan.
He came to the Wolverines as a highly-touted four-star quarterback from New Mexico, but made the move to tight end early on in his tenure.
He redshirted his freshman year, saw little playing time the following season, but then finally emerged last year as a redshirt sophomore, hauling in 17 catches for 303 yards.
His offensive explosion resulted in him winning the team’s Most Improved Player award at the postseason banquet.
“It meant a lot to me,” he admitted. “I’m right where I need to be now at tight end. The award showed that everyone recognized the hard work I had put in, especially once I hit my stride late in the year.”
Unfortunately, the Wolverines as a team never hit their stride.
They finished a disappointing 8-5, including a three-game losing streak to close out the campaign.
“We’ve definitely watched those last three games over and over,” he recalled. “There were some frustrating moments that stuck with us throughout the offseason. It’s motivation, because a lot of those mistakes are fixable. We’ve gotten in the weight room and meeting rooms a lot, and know what needs to be fixed.
“Coming in every day, there’s just a little bit of a different edge this time around. We were so young last year, so I think everyone is more comfortable and experienced. We’re all fired up to have a big season and to win those big games.”
Whether or not Michigan wins those “big games” this year could depend on the status of junior quarterback Shea Patterson.
He transferred to Michigan from Ole Miss in December, but yet to be cleared by the NCAA.
“Shea has done a good job of taking everything in stride so far,” Gentry said. “He’s obviously a very athletic and shifty guy. He has a quick release and throws a nice ball too.
“Personality-wise, he’s kind of like [redshirt sophomore quarterback Brandon] Peters in that he’s quiet — but he’s new here, and is opening up more and more every day. You can tell he’s very confident though.”
Gentry — along with the rest of the tight ends — will be working with a new position coach in 2018, as Greg Frey departed for Florida State in January and was replaced by Central Michigan’s Sherrone Moore.
“He’s very organized,” Gentry said of Moore. “He gets us going every day, and really knows what he’s talking about. I thought it was cool that he played offensive line at Oklahoma when Adrian Peterson was there — that was one of the first things I found out about him.”
Another new face on the Michigan staff is strength and conditioning coach Ben Herbert. Gentry said he’s already noticing the difference Herbert has made.
“I’ve gained weight in his program,” the tight end said. “He brought an electricity to the weight room — there’s a lot of noise and stuff going on in there now. It’s been good for me, because I’ve gained muscle. There’s a focus on things we didn’t do in the past — not in a bad way though. We’re getting our bodies changed and have adapted to different things.”
Finally, Gentry gave an update on a fellow tight end who was recently injured, and one who was hurt for the majority of last year.
“The younger guys have been getting a lot more reps with [redshirt junior] Tyrone Wheatley out,” Gentry explained. “[Junior] Nick Eubanks is back though, and he’s healthy. He’s good to go, even though he’s been wearing the Gronk elbow brace.”
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