Michigan Football: Devin Bush and Zach Gentry shine for Steelers

Former Michigan football standouts Devin Bush Jr. and Zach Gentry played well in their preseason openers for the Pittsburgh Steelers Friday night.

There is little doubt that of all the players Jim Harbaugh has coached at Michigan football, Devin Bush Jr. is one of the best.

The former four-star linebacker was an All-American for the Wolverines and was named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year in 2018, after helping lead Michigan football to a third 10-win season in four years.

Bush was selected by the Steelers in the first round of the NFL draft back in April and Friday night, he made his NFL debut in the team’s preseason opener against the Tampa Bay Bucs.

And just as you would expect with Bush, he was lights out. The rookie played for most of the first half and racked up 10 tackles, including a key stop on a fourth-and-short.

Obviously, it was just the preseason and just one game, but the effort Bush put forth Friday against the Bucs is exactly what you would expect to see from the Michigan football product.

Bush is a true three-down linebacker. He’s a guy that can dominate against the run, but also hold his own in coverage and run sideline-to-sideline. He was the Wolverines eraser last season and was outstanding playing a similar role for the Steelers.

Maybe I am biased. Well, I know I am, but I believe he is the favorite for defensive rookie of the year. He will do great things on a team that could be pretty good. If he doesn’t win, he will be close.

On another note, Bush wasn’t the only former Michigan football player to excel Friday night as Zach Gentry, also of the Steelers, turned heads.

The former high school quarterback turned tight end, who went in the fifth round to Pittsburgh, caught two passes in the win over Tampa Bay, including a three-yard touchdown reception from Mason Rudolph.

Some Michigan fans were disappointed when Gentry passed up his final year of eligibility to go pro and who can blame them? The dude is a really talented player and he showed that again last night.

He likely has work to do to lock down a spot on the 53-man roster but has big potential down the road and plays a lot faster than his 40 times indicated at the NFL combine. Friday, he was able to produce when the lights were shining and that’s a big deal.

Chase Winovich also had a solid night in his debut, getting 1.5 sacks vs Detroit Thursday. Rashan Gary didn’t produce much outside of some QB pressure in the Packers opener and David Long and the Rams will play their first preseason game Saturday against Oakland.