Signing Day Spotlight: Rashan Gary
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More on Gary: The latest on the No. 1 prospect | Rivals100
Defensive tackle Rashan Gary is the top-rated prospect in this 2016 class. He dominated the Under Armour All-America week and has proven to be a special talent. So which program is going to land him?
By all indications it seems Michigan is the frontrunner heading into his decision but there’s one major roadblock – the Paramus (N.J.) Paramus Catholic standout is taking an official visit to Clemson this weekend. He decided to visit Clemson instead of Alabama, which could be a major sign of how he’s thinking.
Still, some believe even though he’s taking his final trip to the national title runner-up that the Wolverines have too much going for them in his recruitment and that he will still land in Ann Arbor.
It could be an interesting week ahead. Here is what the Rivals analysts who have been covering Gary think about the status of his recruitment:
“Rashan Gary has made five total visits to Michigan during the course of the recruiting process, including his official for the Wolverines' win over BYU in September. That alone is enough to give Michigan fans some confidence (it's more than he's seen any other contender). U-M also has plenty of connections through close friends and even his former high school coach in the program, and the Maize and Blue should feel good - though never great until his signature is on the dotted line.” – Tim Sullivan, TheWolverine.com
"Michigan has the most chips in its favor as far as comfort and familiarity. But if there's any program that can challenge that, it might be Clemson. Gary's uncle –- the brother of his mother, a prominent figure in this recruitment -– lives a short drive from campus and represents a substantial security blanket. Moreover, it's tough to count out defensive coordinator Brent Venables on the recruiting trail. He's hit a couple of home runs lately with out-of-region blue-chippers (Christian Wilkins, Xavier Kelly) few gave Clemson a chance to get." – Paul Strelow, TigerIllustrated.com
“Gary was an Alabama lean very early in his recruitment. However, the Crimson Tide have faced an uphill battle for more than a year in recruiting the No.1 player in the Rivals100. Nick Saban recently had an in-home visit with Gary. He hopes to get Gary on campus again. Alabama is not in great shape regardless even if he returns to Tuscaloosa.” – Andrew Bone, TideSports.com
“Every team in the country could use a player like Rashan Gary on its roster. He dominated the competition at the Under Armour All-America Game. Gary visited Auburn with his mother, who is a big part of his recruitment, last fall when Will Muschamp was still the man-in-charge. Fast forward a couple of months and the defensive staff at Auburn looks a little different. Gary had good things to say about the Kevin Steele hire, but I think the Tigers have found themselves on the outside looking in on Gary. However, at one point Auburn was a very likely destination for the nation's No. 1 player.” – Allie Davison, AuburnSports.com
“USC has a good chance to sign Rashan Gary for many reasons, from the school's academic prestige, to the allure of Los Angeles, to its standing in college football history. In reality though, Gary probably won't end up as a Trojan for the simple reason that USC is on the other side of the country. There are just too many intriguing programs in between the East and West coasts. Since USC had a down year, it's hard to imagine the Trojans stealing the No. 1 player away from a school back East.” – Chris Swanson, TrojanSports.com
“Ole Miss made a run at Rashan Gary. At one point, the Rebels may have enjoyed real contender status, but Michigan built a lead Ole Miss never could overcome. There’s a chance Ole Miss pulls a Signing Day upset or two but it won’t be landing Gary. Ole Miss got Gary to campus but a snafu out of the Rebels’ control tainted the trip. Ole Miss’ coaches, specifically defensive line coach Chris Kiffin, built a great relationship with Gary and his mother, but in the end, distance and perception were too much to overcome. Ole Miss won’t be signing Gary, but it won’t be for a lack of effort.” - Neal McCready, RebelGrove.com