What Scheme Is Best Fit for 2016 No. 1 Overall Recruit Rashan Gary?

Rashan Gary is the kind of player who allows defensive coordinators to use their imaginations during game-plan development.

A big-time athlete with a blue-collar work ethic, the 6'4", 311-pound New Jersey phenom is America's top-rated recruit in 247Sports' 2016 composite rankings. He holds more than 50 scholarship offers with another season remaining in his high school career at Paramus Catholic in New Jersey.

Gary is used to the spotlight. It's shined on him most of this decade.

"It's been a journey since I got that first offer in eighth grade," he told Bleacher Report. "I didn't think much of it until I got to high school and realized there were seniors who worked really hard and still didn't have any offers. Seeing players struggle to get colleges interested at camps kind of puts things in perspective and keeps me humble. A lot of people want to be in my shoes."

The kid who caught early attention from recruiting analysts and collegiate coaching staffs has developed into the country's most coveted recruit. Years of interest are approaching an epic final stretch likely to last until national signing day in February.

Gary told B/R this summer that he intends to announce a top-five list and establish official visit plans before the season begins. Paramus Catholic, a state title contender, kicks of its campaign Sept. 4 against Eastern Christian Academy (Maryland).

His trips this summer included stops at Alabama, Auburn, Georgia, Michigan and LSU. 

"My mom and I are taking this step by step," Gary said. "I'm not feeling a lot of pressure, but I'm focused on finding the best place for me."

His mother, Jennifer Coney, has been an instrumental part of the recruiting process. It's hard to imagine him selecting a university without her seal of approval.

"Wherever he's competing, she's right there alongside him. You can see he's the love of her life," said NJ Advance Media recruiting analyst Todderick Hunt, who has covered Gary as long as anyone.

While some parents may worry solely about campus location or academic offerings, Coney is also considering defensive schemes, which she made clear to Chris Kirschner of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution last month after attending Dawg Night at Georgia:

"

I know [Georgia runs] a 3-4 defense, and I don’t know how good that would be for my son. In that three-person line, their job is to hold the offensive line so the linebackers can come in to make the tackle. Well, how is Rashan supposed to shine in a 3-4? A 4-3 defense is what I prefer. It’s OK for him to play in a 3-4, only if they rotate in a 4-3. I just don’t see how playing in a 3-4 defense would benefit him.

"

Coney's comments send a strong message about her role in his recruitment and raise an overriding question that continues to accompany Gary.

Where exactly would he be most effective within a defensive system?

"Rashan is versatile enough to do pretty much anything he wants along the defensive line, whether you're talking about a 3-4 scheme or a 4-3 scheme," Hunt said. "He can play 3-technique or 5-technique, like the kind of big defensive ends Florida State likes."

Let's start with the obvious: Gary is college-ready from a physical standpoint.

He's managed to grow well beyond 300 pounds without sacrificing an ounce of athleticism. After packing on approximately 25 pounds during the past two years, Gary still explodes off the snap quicker than any 2016 lineman. 

His 40-yard dash hovers around 4.7 seconds, exhibiting burst that could lend itself to multiple phases of a defensive game plan. Perhaps Gary is even equipped to regularly attack opponents from a stand-up setting.

"He could probably play outside linebacker in a 3-4 scheme because of his speed and mobility," Hunt said.

Gary is listed as a defensive tackle in recruiting rankings, though a more appropriate term might simply be "defensive front specialist." His stature, anticipation and aggression make it practically impossible to pigeonhole him into one specific slot.

He saw plenty of snaps off the edge last fall, when Gary erupted for 55 tackles and 14 sacks. His ability to transition on a play-by-play basis helps dictate battles within the trenches.

"If you're doing your job as a coach, you probably don't have him lined up in the same spot on every single down," Hunt said. "You want to move Rashan around and have the offense account for him on each snap."

Credit: 247Sports

Gary also recognizes his versatility, expressing an openness to adapt as a college athlete.

“I love a defense that plays both schemes,” he told Kipp Adams of 247Sports.

Michigan, viewed as a slight favorite to sign Gary, benefits from an element of familiarity. Former Paramus Catholic head coach Chris Partridge serves on Jim Harbaugh's staff and recently hosted the prized prospect in Ann Arbor.

“They treat us like family. Coach Partridge knows how my mom is and knows how I am, so our visit was smooth," Gary said. "He showed us everything we needed to see.”

Wolverines defensive coordinator D.J. Durkin loves to dial up blitzes off the perimeter, utilizing 3-4, 3-3-5 and 4-3 schemes during previous tenures. He formerly worked at Florida under Will Muschamp, who is now ardently pursuing Gary at Auburn.

Ultimately, any defensive coach in America should be willing to adapt his philosophical approach if it means finding a fit for Gary. 

While most would love the thought of him setting the edge in a three-man front, Gary's greatest ceiling resides at 3-technique in a 4-3 scheme. It's the position that can best showcase his tremendous blend of attributes.

Shaded to the offensive guard's outside shoulder, Gary would be asked to eviscerate the B-gap and get into the backfield. Given his elite footwork and rare quick-trigger athleticism at that size, he is essentially tailor-made for the position.  

A spot along the defensive front can also create consistent pass-rush capabilities, as evidenced by the dominant NFL careers of Warren Sapp, Ndamukong Suh and John Randle. B/R enjoyed a firsthand account of how relentless Gary can be in his hunt for quarterbacks last October, as he collected six sacks in three quarters of live-game coverage.

Regardless of which scheme Gary lands in, expect him to wreak havoc against offensive linemen for years to come.

"I got some reps against Rashan, and they were humbling experiences for sure," 5-star center Jack Anderson said in July after a few showdowns. "He's the real deal."

Quotes obtained firsthand by Bleacher Report National Recruiting Analyst Tyler Donohue unless otherwise noted. All player ratings are courtesy of 247Sports' composite ratings. Follow Tyler via Twitter: @TDsTake.