An underclassman who stood out Tuesday when camping at Tennessee was McCallie pass rusher Carson Gentle. The 2024 prospect, who already boasts two SEC offers, held his own with older campers, putting on a show at times.

“I feel like I did pretty well. It felt great to get back out here and compete against older guys,” Gentle told Volquest following the session. “When we did 1-on-1s, I didn’t lose a rep. I was one of the first guys to go every time when doing drills. I knew how to do everything and it felt pretty good.”

Thanks to the impressive showing, the Tennessee coaching staff made an offer to the rising sophomore the next week.

"It's a great feeling. Coach Martinez called me and we had a great talk," the Volunteer State native said. "He told me that the coaches really liked the way I competed in camp and the way I played on film. He also said that I fit in perfectly with what they are trying to do defensively.

"I really enjoyed working with coach [Rodney] Garner in camp and coach Martinez said he wants me to get back up there later this month to spend some time with coach Garner and [Josh] Heupel."

The Vols join a group consisting of Ole Miss and Kentucky who have already offered the 6-foot-3, 225 pound athlete. It’s a good start for the Chattanooga native as the list will certainly grow over time.

“I’ve grown up watching Tennessee. It’s awesome to have an offer from them,” Gentle said. “Tennessee has a lot of legit coaches that have been in the game for a while now. It’s amazing to finally see myself at this level to where I’m being coached [camps] by these SEC greats.”

Last Tuesday, Gentle displayed a great get-off the line of scrimmage and strength to shed blockers. He has speed and keeps it tight off the edge. Hand placement and hip flexibility is something the Tennessee target looks to improve on over the next few years.

“I talked to the coaches afterwards and they said I did pretty well,” the prospect said. “One thing when working with coach Garner, he was saying I need to work on my hips. I have flexible hips, but flipping them with my hands is something to work on.”

Gentle plans to attend a camp at Tennessee State on June 16 with hopes of camping a few other times before the summer is over.

The McCallie standout helped the team win a state championship in 2020 and was after named a Max Preps Freshman All-American. Gentle was also an All-State wrestler as a freshman this past winter in the 220-pound class.

Rivals recently invited the 2024 prospect to compete in the 5-Star Underclassmen Challenge.