BYU loses primary recruiting target, Andrew Gentry, to UVA

https://twitter.com/a_gentry75/status/1205987295586766848?s=19



Gentry, one of the top offensive line recruits and one of BYUs primary targets has committed to UVA.



Tough loss for BYU.

What?! How can this be? How did the master recruiter lose a recruit to someone who hates recruiting?

Haha!



Seriously, why does Kalani have his job?

Sad loss that shouldn't have been, but 100% rather see him there than at Puketah and I'd rather see him at VA than at Michigan.

Damn you Bronco Mendenhall! He is a mission first guy so I guess we'll see if he changes his mind while serving. :D

EM_Puma wrote:

Sad loss that shouldn't have been, but 100% rather see him there than at Puketah and I'd rather see him at VA than at Michigan.

I agree. Never lose recruits to the utes. I know it happens but I would definitely rather see someone go to be coached by Bronco than Kwhitt.

frdbtr wrote:

Sad loss that shouldn't have been, but 100% rather see him there than at Puketah and I'd rather see him at VA than at Michigan.

I agree. Never lose recruits to the utes. I know it happens but I would definitely rather see someone go to be coached by Bronco than Kwhitt.

Well reality for me is that Bronco was the head Coug for 10 years and earned my admiration. In head to head, it's a no brainer, I want my Cougars to win, but I have too much respect for the man to not want him to be successful at Virginia.

This is a no brainer, why not go to VA a team on the rise with a bunch of LDS coaches who won't have a problem with you leaving for 2 years. Get prepared for this to happen regularly with high end LDS athletes. It doesn't matter how good of a recruiter you are or not there are just to many down sides for some of these kids to choose BYU right now.

frdbtr wrote:

What?! How can this be? How did the master recruiter lose a recruit to someone who hates recruiting?

Bronco must have let Gentry recruit Virginia. :lol:

a1247 wrote:

This is a no brainer, why not go to VA a team on the rise with a bunch of LDS coaches who won't have a problem with you leaving for 2 years. Get prepared for this to happen regularly with high end LDS athletes. It doesn't matter how good of a recruiter you are or not there are just to many down sides for some of these kids to choose BYU right now.

And...in a legitimate conference.



Between Utah and VA, if you are a high-profile LDS football player, you have a couple of good options.

https://www.denverpost.com/2019/12/16/andrew-gentry-columbine-virginia-commitment/



“Bronco Mendenhall has a plan,” Gentry told The Denver Post. “He had to take a program in that was not very good and the progression they’ve had over the last couple of years has been incredible. … I’d love to be a part of a team where I can stand out a little bit and help that process, rather than at a Michigan or an Alabama, where you’re just another one of those four- or five-star players they get all the time.



“I felt like Virginia was a place I could go in and be a part of something special.”



The Mendenhall connection proved essential. Gentry is a proud member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and will complete a two-year mission prior to playing college football. Mendehall, once a coach at BYU, understands Gentry’s drive to serve his faith before suiting up on game days.



“It’s very similar to BYU in regards to working with missionaries, and at Virginia, I can still play Power Five football,” Gentry said. “They’re definitely physical up front. I felt like that was a good place where I could continue my style of play that I really like.”

============================

So it sounds like the P5 thing was the difference. Further evidence that returning to a G5 conference isn't going to be "good enough" for the high-level recruits.

The things that stand out to me from his comments.



"Bronco has a plan..." I don't think anyone who has watched BYU the last couple of years can feel like BYU currently has a plan.

"I can still play Power Five football." Yeah, going back to G5 would hurt us more than help.

What strikes me, no mention of BYU except the religious affiliation.