McCallie’s Gentle brothers bring big bodies, and big brains, to Harvard football
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (BVM) — Twin brothers Austin and Jack Gentle are anything but gentle on the football field. As two hulking offensive linemen for the McCallie School, home to one of the best offenses in the state of Tennessee, the duo is not one to be trifled with, especially given their 6-foot-plus heights and nearly 300-pound frames. However, the two combined would be an offensive line coach’s dream and that is exactly what will happen when the two make the jump to the collegiate level.
“One nickname we’ve had is ‘Not so Gentle’ brothers,” Austin said. “It comes from our dad and a newspaper article said ‘TJ not so Gentle.’ It’s been a running joke, but it’s definitely distinct.”
On Feb. 3, the two twin seniors put pen to paper committing to play their next four years of football for the Harvard University Crimson. The signing day makes the long-anticipated move official as the brothers had been verbally committed to the Crimson since June of last year.
I am excited to announce my commitment to Harvard University!!!#GoCrimson #CRIMXXI@McCallieFB @HarvardFootball @CoachTimMurphy @Coach_Poppe @CoachKKennedy @Coach_Joel_Lamb @rjja1617 @cosimp4real @BuckFitz @CSmithScout @StephenHargis @McCallieSports pic.twitter.com/mSYlinf7Et
— Austin Gentle (@austingentle21) June 8, 2020
Austin had been considered the better of the two brothers in terms of collegiate prospects, due mostly to Jack missing his sophomore season with an injury. With 20 offers and a three-star ranking, Austin had a plethora of options to choose from including at a number of Division I institutions like Louisville, Memphis, Ole Miss and Texas A&M. Although Jack didn’t receive as much attention, he had a decent pile of his own with offers from Brown and Davidson. But for the brothers, the opportunity to stay together while also getting an education from an academic institution like Harvard was too good to pass up.
“We’ve always been really close and our family has seen us play together ever since fifth grade,” Jack said. “When we both got an offer from Harvard we knew it was the perfect opportunity and we get to do it together. … I’ve always wanted to go to the same school as Austin, but I didn’t know if I’d have the opportunity to. When it came it felt perfect.”
“There was probably a year and a half where we thought we were probably going to end up at different schools, but we’re so happy with how it turned out,” Austin said. “One big thing I’ve always thought about recruiting was using football to open doors that wouldn’t have been opened to you. [Harvard] is certainly a door that is open. We always cared about academics.”
The two brothers have been a dominant force for McCallie’s offensive front. As one of the top offensive guard recruits in the country, Austin would lead the way, earning back-to-back Division II-AAA all-state honors from the Tennessee Sports Writers Association and Tennessee High School football in 2019 and 2020. Jack wouldn’t be left out either as he would earn Division II-AAA all-state honors from the TSWA following his senior campaign.
“It’s something I’ve hoped for as long as I had gone to McCallie,” Jack said. “I’m so glad that I was able to make that team.”
As lead blockers for B.J. Harris, the highest-ranked running back in the state and a Missouri commit, the twins were able to help Harris gash defenses for the Blue Tornados on their way to back-to-back Division II-AAA state championships. The duo’s last game was arguably their best as they helped lead the Blue Tornados to an impressive 44-0 win over MUS in the state championship with the offense accumulating 378 total yards and six touchdowns. The moment was made even better as the two not only won their second title, but their first with younger brother Carson, who was a freshman for the Blue Tornados.
“We had a safety during the game and Carson was the one who got the sack,” Jack said. “To come in as a freshman and do that was incredible.”
“My favorite memento from the game is this picture of the three of us holding the championship trophy,” Austin said. “It’s hanging on our wall and it’s great. It was a really good experience, but now he needs one more to match us.”
Signing day was a culmination of all the hard work the brothers had put in for the program over the years. During the ceremony at the school with a few friends and family members as spectators, the moment was a poignant one for the twins.
“It was an awesome experience we’ve been looking forward to for years,” Jack said. “Being next to Austin was a dream come true.”
“Getting to sign together to the same school was really amazing,” Austin said. “It was awesome.”
While they may not have been able to see how the Crimson fared during their 2020 campaign prior to signing, due to the Ivy League opting out of the 2020 season, that didn’t matter to the brothers. They feel that they will be able to fit in easily with the team and the campus as a whole. Though the academics will be as tough of a challenge as the football will be, the twins feel they are more than prepared to show off both in the classroom and on the field.
“I’m really looking forward to it and I’m so grateful for the opportunity,” Jack said. “I think that Harvard does a really good job making football players be an actual part of the student body so I’ll be able to have a normal college experience. It’ll definitely be difficult, but we’re ready to put in the work.”
Ever competitive, the two will battle to see who comes out on top in terms of grades come the end of the first semester.
“We’re just going to compete,” Austin said. “We’ve been neck and neck. We’re like within five hundredths of a point. We’ve always been competitive.”
“I think I might be able to do it, but I’m sure he thinks he will,” Jack said. “We’ll just have to see.”
With two highly-touted, highly-educated offensive linemen coming to the team, the Crimson skill players should feel excited for the arrival of the Gentle boys. While their name may not sound menacing, their play on the field will be sure to show otherwise.
