LARAMIE — Gunner Gentry figured to play a larger role out wide for Wyoming next season. Now the Cowboys are just hoping their junior receiver is able to return to action at some point this fall.

Gentry is expected to miss “several months” after recently injuring his patellar tendon, UW coach Craig Bohl said. Bohl added Gentry is expected to fully recover from the knee injury, but exactly how long that process will take is a guess.

“Any time I make these statements, sometimes I overestimate the amount of time they’re going to be out, but I would think it would be doubtful that he’d be back at the first part of the fall,” Bohl said. “And he may miss all of fall depending on his rehab.”

The younger brother of former UW standout Tanner Gentry, Gentry has just eight career receptions. Yet that’s tied for the second-most among UW’s returning receivers in the Cowboys’ run-heavy offense.

Two of those catches came during the Cowboys’ abbreviated season last fall. One was a 22-yard touchdown grab in the season opener at Nevada, UW’s lone touchdown reception of the season.

Gentry has been a big-play threat on the outside when given the opportunity, averaging 19.8 yards per reception for his career. The 6-foot-3, 208-pounder had six receptions for 130 yards in 2019, including a career-long 45-yarder against San Diego State.

Gentry, who started two games last season, likely would’ve been a more significant part of the receiver rotation this fall with the departure of Dontae Crow, who transferred to Campbell University this offseason. Bohl said Gentry was having a “really good” spring before the injury.

“We were excited about that,” Bohl said. “Unfortunately he’s going to be gone for a while.”

The Cowboys still have most of their production back at the position, including leading receiver Ayden Eberhardt and Isaiah Neyor, who emerged last season as another deep threat in a limited sample size. As a freshman, Neyor averaged a team-best 31 yards on eight receptions.

With Gentry out for the time being, the Cowboys will look to more of their younger wideouts to help provide depth there. Sophomore Wyatt Wieland and freshmen Devin Jennings, Alex Brown, Josh Cobbs and Tyrese Grant are among those who could see their reps increase this spring.