Former Texas QB commit Zach Gentry moving to TE for Michigan

Once the 2015 quarterback commit for the Texas Longhorns, New Mexico product Zach Gentry is now making the full-time move to tight end for the Michigan Wolverines, according to head coach Jim Harbaugh on Friday. The 6'7, 230-pounder played tight end during bowl practice for the Wolverines.

Gentry committed to Texas in May of 2014 and remained the only pledge in the 2015 class until the Longhorns pursued Aggies quarterback commit Kyler Murray and then decided to move to a spread offense after running Shawn Watson's pro-style, West Coast attack in 2014. At that point, Gentry succumbed to Harbaugh's advances late in the process, eventually flipping to the Wolverines on January 24, just after taking an official visit to Ann Arbor.

Always known as something of a raw prospect, Gentry was nonetheless ranked as a consensus four-star prospect, the No. 175 prospect, the No. 8 pro-style quarterback, and the No. 1 prospect in New Mexico, according to the 247Sports Composite rankings.

However, he didn't even make it through a full football season before Harbaugh started experimenting with the idea of an alternative future for Gentry.

"It was their (idea), but I've been flexible with it," Gentry said in January during bowl prep. "Coach Harbaugh and (Jay Harbaugh) wanted to use my athleticism and see what happens. I've been doing it in practice, I think I've done a nice job with it.

"But I'm not sure, exactly, what's going on with my future (and what position I'll play)."

Now Harbaugh has made what will likely be a final determination with five quarterbacks on scholarship this spring. And Gentry was okay with it a month and a half ago.

"Coach Harbaugh's a competitive guy and a lot of the guys respect him for that," Gentry said. "He's not afraid to move some guys around and have them compete. I'm competitive, too.

"So I'll try to go out and do my thing. ... I'm happy with everything that's going on here and I've really enjoyed my time at Michigan."

Interestingly enough, there are questions about the future of the 2015 Texas quarterback signee Kai Locksley, too. Also considered a raw quarterback prospect out of high school -- more raw, in fact, than Gentry, Locksley played wide receiver at the Under Armour All-American game in early 2016 and even made an impressive catch. 247Sports considered him an athlete at the end of the process.

Now Locksley will enter spring practice facing a potential turning point in his own college career. Still at quarterback for the Texas, he will have to compete with four other scholarship players at his position for reps and prove to new offensive coordinator Sterlin Gilbert that he can stick at quarterback. If Locksley can't show aptitude throwing the football, he could be in line for his own position change or be forced to decide if he likes it in Austin as much as Gentry apparently likes it in Ann Arbor.