Demerick Gary
	Height	6-3
	Weight	250
	40-yard Dash	4.7
	Bench Press	375
	Squat	475

ESPN.com: ***
247sports.com: ***
Rivals.com: **
Scout.com: ***
Two-time District 13-5A Defensive Most Valuable Player
Scout: No. 108 defensive end in nation
ESPN: No. 122 defensive end in nation
247sports: No. 75 strongside defensive end in nation
ESPN: No. 158 player in Texas
Scout: No. 16 defensive end in Texas
Scout: No. 20 defensive end in Midland Region
ESPN: No. 201 player in Midlands Region
247sports: No. 174 player in Texas
First-team All-District 13-5A
Named to Team USA for 2016 International Bowl (at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas)

Last Year Statistics

74 tackles
30 tackles for loss
11 sacks
7 forced fumbles
3 fumble recoveries
1 interception — returned “about 30 yards” for a touchdown

Strengths as a Player

The two-time Defensive Most Valuable Player in District 13-5A, Demerick Gary is a tough, smart athlete who something of a throwback at a position at which many players are used almost exclusively as a pass rusher. Kimball High School plays in a district that has several teams whose offenses rely heavily on the running game, and which has helped Gary become a very effective defender against the run, using his quickness and athleticism to get around bigger blockers and his strength to hold his own in the trenches against offensive linemen who often have a considerable size advantage. In Gary’s senior year, first-year head coach Henry Cofer ditched the read-and-react system that had been in place and installed a much more aggressive system in which Gary thrived. He played mostly at defensive end, but also saw time at nose tackle and even started one game at middle linebacker, anchoring the Kimball defense that effectively shut down Seagoville High School’s prolific power running game.

Interviews

Demerick Gary on why he chose SMU:

A lot of schools — Baylor, Texas, U of H (Houston), Clemson — came in and wanted to talk to me. They said they were really interested in me, but what I told my coach was, I committed to SMU and I was going to SMU.

He asked me if I wanted to be out there as a soft commit, but I knew that once I was talking with my family, with Coach (Chad) Morris, Coach (Van) Malone, Coach (Buddy) Wyatt, my decision was the right one. I have been solid to SMU since I committed June 6.

Once I started putting up big numbers, coaches from other schools started hitting me up a lot, but I was going to stick with my word, no matter what. Commitment means something to me.

My mom was a big part of my decision — she wants me to go to SMU, but she wasn’t always that way. At first she thought it was too close, and she always told me to go off and see new things. But I talked her into going to see SMU, and when she started learning about it, it was an easy decision. She’s big — really big — on academics, and what SMU brings to the table academically is important. That’s the biggest thing. That’s what you get out of school other than football.

We (the 2016 SMU recruiting class) are close. We had a group chat going, and we talked every day — some guys were on it all the time — so it felt like we really gained a bond. So when we went on our official visits, you meet guys from a different state or a different city, but it felt like we had known each other forever.

Chris Biggurs was my host, and he was great. We already knew each other, so it wasn’t like we had to get to know each other. He was serious about getting ready. He said “you can’t come in playing games — you have to be ready to ball, ready to play.” I’m going to be working really hard to get ready.

He said Coach Wyatt is a great teacher, a great coach. (Wyatt) won’t just say “if you don’t get it, you don’t get it.” He’s a teacher. He’ll sit you down and teach you the schemes and your role, and why they ask you to do certain things until it all makes sense. Coach (Buddy) Wyatt is one of the greatest defensive coaches in the country. He coached (Denver Broncos linebacker) Von Miller (at Texas A&M), and you know how good he is. Coach Wyatt is a great coach.

But he also said Coach Wyatt is not always serious, which I already knew. He’s a great guy, whether you’re talking about football or not. He’s a guy you can talk to about anything — about life, about family. I feel like I’ve got a bond going with him already.

One of the basketball coaches at our school, London Giles, played at SMU. He talks to me about the academics at SMU. He really opened my eyes about school, more than football