USC Trojans star linebacker Eric Gentry had his 2024 season end prematurely. After suffering multiple concussions early in the year, he decided to take a redshirt year so that he could have one more year of eligibility.
Taking the redshirt still allowed him to play in the Las Vegas Bowl on Friday, and that gave fans hope that he would return to USC for a final year.
It looks like everyone is getting their wish.
Eric Gentry Returning To USC Trojans In 2025
According to the USC Trojans NIL Collective, House of Victory, Gentry will be returning to the program in 2025.
This is another huge lift for the team after both Emmanuel Pregnon and Kamari Ramsey announced recently that they would be returning as well.
Before taking the redshirt, Gentry was having the best season of his college career and was one of, if not the, best Trojan defenders.
In just 4 games, he finished with 30 total tackles, 2 sacks, and a forced fumble. In the bowl game, Gentry finished with 3 tackles and was the highest-graded defender with a 77.3 grade, according to Pro Football Focus.
It was well known that a huge part of Gentry’s development was linebacker coach Matt Entz. When he first announced his redshirt decision, the immediate thought was that he would return for another year of tutelage under Entz. But when Entz took the head coaching job at Fresno State, that thought became murky, at best.
USC has not officially hired a new linebackers coach, but they have had many conversations, and the rumor is that their top candidate is either still coaching in the college football playoff, or the NFL.
Either way, it looks like Gentry believes in the vision for 2025 and he will be back to anchor the defensive unit that will need some veteran leadership.