5-Star DT Rashan Gary Proves His No. 1 Ranking in Under Armour All-America Game

For months, Rashan Gary has been considered the nation's top-ranked football player in the 2016 class. In every nationally televised opportunity to showcase his skills, he's yet to disappoint.

His play at The Opening? Dominant.

His performance with Paramus Catholic (New Jersey) against Florida power IMG Academy? He stood out...and that's hard to do with all of the FBS-caliber talent IMG has.

Now add Saturday's Under Armour All-America Game to the list. On the field with some of the nation's best talent, Gary was the most dominant player. Per BlogAndTackle.net, he not only finished with six tackles (including 3.5 for loss), but he also tied the Under Armour All-America Game record with three sacks. Gary also accounted for multiple quarterback hurries from start to finish.

Emphasis on "multiple."

Only a handful have argued that Gary doesn't deserve the No. 1 spot in the 2016 class. All four major recruiting sites—247Sports, Scout.com, Rivals.com and ESPN.com—rank him as the nation's top player.

If you weren't a believer before the start of the game, maybe you're a believer now.

What's not to like about Gary? He's now 6'4" and 287 pounds. He dropped significant weight since weighing in at The Opening at 311 pounds, which means he's leaner, shiftier and—as scary as it is—faster. Gary told Bleacher Report on several occasions that he's been clocked in the 40-yard dash at sub-4.8 seconds. Ridiculous speed for a guy his size—and for someone who only will get better and faster.

Remember the summer of 2014? Gary was one of only three underclassmen invited to compete at The Opening. To say his play impressed some of the best the 2015 class had to offer may be an understatement.

"He's only going to be a junior? Whoa, I had no idea" Martez Ivey, who is now at Florida, told Bleacher Report's Tyler Donohue in August 2014. "He definitely stepped up his game. ... The guy deserves a lot of credit for how he handles himself."

Clemson's Mitch Hyatt was also impressed with Gary's play at such a young age.

"Like most of the linemen, I didn't find out he's a junior until the final day of competition," Hyatt said. "We just assumed he was another senior, especially based on the way he competed. ... He's way above his level when compared to other players at that age."

Hyatt then added how he'd be looking forward to watching Gary in the future because he "has everything a defensive lineman needs to be dominant at the next level."

Credit: 247Sports

Saturday showed just how dominant Gary can be. What's worse for offensive linemen nationwide is Gary's only going to get better when it's time to make a decision and choose where he'll attend college. Schools like Michigan, Clemson, Ole Miss, Alabama, USC and Georgia are still in the hunt.

"It's going to come down to how I feel," Gary told Bleacher Report's Sanjay Kirpalani in October regarding his final decision. "Like, [how] I can develop at that school, how close it is, how my mom feels and the food."

Gary's No. 1 ranking was not only supported but also solidified Saturday. It's now time to discuss how much of an impact player he'll be at the next level.

Don't be surprised if his impact is immediate. After all, there's a reason why he's ranked where he is.

Damon Sayles is a National Recruiting Analyst for Bleacher Report. All player ratings are courtesy of 247Sports' composite ratings. Follow Damon via Twitter: @DamonSayles