Ranking The Contenders: Zadian Gentry’s Top 5

Three-star McKinney (Texas) cornerback Zadian Gentry has announced a top five of Missouri, SMU, Baylor, Oklahoma State, and Wisconsin.

Rivals ranks the contenders ahead of an important stretch of official visits for Gentry this summer.

SMU is among the power conferences now and it would allow for him to be as close to family as possible. The Mustangs have recruited Dallas very strongly of late and are certainly continuing to trend up in that regard. I think over time, the Mustangs will have a lot of positives in his recruitment, and it may be enough to sway him away from another top option.

Gentry is a near perfect mold for what Oklahoma State likes in a prospect. He is a long, athletic defensive back that comes from the Dallas-Fort Worth area and has a specific attitude and personality that would fit well in Stillwater. The Cowboys landed one of Gentry’s defensive teammates from McKinney last year which I think can go a long way. Cornerbacks coach Tim Duffie has a history of success in the DFW metroplex and I think Gentry could be next in line. Stillwater is only a 3.5-hour drive from home.

Missouri has been a standout for Gentry, but I question whether he will leave the region for school. There has been talk those around him would prefer for him to stay closer to home, which would hurt the Tigers’ chances. Missouri is certainly in the mix though and if they do enough on an official visit, it may be all they need to feel comfortable leaving home.

Baylor is another close-to-home option, but I don’t feel they are among the top options at this time. The Bears will sell being close to family, playing for a defensive head coach, and being in a program that has contended in the Big 12. However, Baylor will need to pull out all the stops if they hope to land his commitment.

Wisconsin at five is primarily due to the location and weather. We see guys from Texas make this move every so often, but I just don’t envision Gentry being one of them. The Badgers have been very active in his recruitment, but there might be too many hurdles to jump in the long run.