Late Tuesday night, the University of Utah landed the first of what should be a handful of commits to come over the weeks leading up to the early December signing period, as North Shore HS (TX) running back John Gentry, made the call three weeks after his Utah official visit—and nine days after he decommitted from Arkansas following a coaching change. Gentry has been a key priority for the Utes and one that they were itching to flip. In fact, at this rate and with the season the Utes are having, any school with a commit that visits Utah, should be on edge with a visit.

What the Utes are getting

At first glance, Gentry's senior film looks pretty similar to TJ Green's high school tape. He's an excellent receiver, both lining up in a traditional receiver spot and coming out of the backfield. Gentry has above-average receiver skills for a running back, and showed good footwork and body control in making tough catches. As a runner, Gentry has a good initial burst and top-end speed, and also shows some physicality in shedding arm tackles. His physicality is a different brand than Zack Moss's or Devin Brumfield's, as instead of going straight through defenders, he can use his athleticism to change his angle and force would-be tacklers to glance off him. Gentry is a little bit undersized, at about 185 pounds. He will need to add weight before he's ready to contribute, but Gentry is coming into a situation where he will have time to develop before being thrown into the fire, if needed.

What this means for the class

Gentry is the sixth commit of the class, after Utah recently mutually parted ways with quarterback Katravis Marsh. With the Utes losing Zack Moss to the NFL, Gentry fills a need for solid depth at the position. Now the Utes can be picky with running backs the rest of the way, as the palm is two take a total of between 1-2, the no-brainer who would be a “take no attempt what,” is Darvon Hubbard. There’s a strong chance that Gentry won’t be the last Utah football commit for this week, and with the high likelihood of another one also coming in early December.

After all, the train is starting to get rolling, and that’s not just in reference to the 2019 squad...

JOIN THE CONVERSATION TODAY, with this GREAT HOLIDAY PROMO, as the Utes continue on their historic 2019 season... Oh and there are plenty more commits to come...

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