Football Recruiting Notebook Following Pro Day at IMG Academy
BRADENTON, Fla. -- The next wave of elite football recruits at IMG Academy was put on display Thursday night and as usual, there was plenty of buzz for the program's current roster. Of course curiosity surrounding what college roster may feature some of the nation's best was also prevalent.
The program and Under Armour put on its Pro Day event to supply the latest look at the most recruited high school football program in the country. Not only did it provide the athletic sample, but also the very latest on the recruiting process for each top talent as well.
Sports Illustrated was on hand and runs through key items from a roster stocked with talent in the recruiting class of 2023, 2024 and beyond.
Class of 2023
Offensive lineman Francis Mauigoa was hard to miss in every sense Thursday, from his immense size to an equally-large personality, the Samoa native commands the room. He also has plenty of recruiting opportunity from coast to coast, spending his most recent visits with new coaching staffs at USC, Oregon and Miami, citing strong developmental bonds with offensive line coaches Josh Henson (USC) and Alex Mirabal (Miami) recently. Mauigoa will continue to hit the visit trail in March, beginning with LSU March 1, Florida March 5 and either Alabama or Georgia on March 10. Official visits are likely to follow in a recruitment that could go the distance.
There is always a buzz around two-way talent Samuel M'Pemba and Thursday was no different. After hinting at a commitment late last year, the process is a bit more open to the long and muscular St. Louis native, who will begin next month with a trip to LSU. Michigan and Notre Dame are also slated to get him on campus and trips to Florida and Missouri could eventually be in the works as well. M'Pemba says the best relationships he has at the moment are with Marcus Freeman (Notre Dame) and Jamar Cain (LSU) at this time.
Defensive lineman Will Norman didn't participate in the workout due to a high ankle sprain that should be fully recovered within a month, yet he earned an invitation to the upcoming Future 50 event anyway for his quick rise as a prospect. Freshly removed from a "great" visit to Florida, Norman is planning to stop by LSU in the first week of March and aiming to attend the Texas A&M spring game in April. He hopes to squeeze a trip to Oregon in between the two SEC treks.
Jordan Hall was among the more physically impressive prospects on the roster and his recruitment reflects as much at linebacker. A list of top schools is likely to drop this spring and programs like Michigan, Michigan State and Penn State are likely to make the cut. Hall, who envisions himself as the signal-caller for a college defense one day, has begun to add more regional offers since moving to IMG from his native Virginia. That list includes the new staffs at both Florida and Miami and he'll soon see one, UF, during the first week of March.
Alabama native and recent IMG addition Dale Miller has seen his recruitment uptick since the fall, even since arriving at the program. Florida State is the most recent tender in to the defensive back and a trip to Tallahassee is set for March 5. Alabama and Florida have shown considerable interest and return trips are likely to each program. Miller grew up an Auburn fan and admits the offer, which came in person over the summer months, was one that caught his attention even before it came in. A commitment could come during the 2022 season.
Wide receiver Devin Hyatt has already been busy on the visit trail in 2022, visiting Alabama and Tennessee in January. The SEC rivals are in consistent communication with him, he says, and are likely to remain contenders for the South Carolina native. Georgia is beginning to get involved and a visit could be in the works for March while in-state programs Florida State and UCF have increased attention his way as well. Hyatt, who is the younger brother of Tennessee wide receiver Jalin Hyatt, says a verbal commitment could come in the spring or summer months ahead of his senior season at IMG.
Big offensive lineman Knijeah Harris has more than two dozen offers to his name as an interior projection. He says many of them are still heavy on his trail but the first two mentioned by the Florida native were the new staffs at in-state programs Florida and Miami. Spring visits are still to be determined in what should be a busy run in Harris' recruitment. Harris is hoping to visit Florida, LSU, USC, Alabama and Georgia in the coming months.
Class of 2024
The 2021 IMG offense flashed in many areas, especially in the running game with Stacy Gage. Now expected to take the lead role in the backfield, the breakout campaign led to droves of offers new to his name. Among them, extensions from Alabama, Ohio State and Oklahoma command his attention and are likely visit destinations moving forward. Gage says he models his game after former Buckeye Ezekiel Elliot and considers OU one of his dream schools having been born in the region with family still active there. Texas A&M recently offered, too, and Gage noted Jimbo Fisher's energy and relatability as positives towards the defending recruiting champions.
Another new addition to IMG's roster is defensive back Ellis Robinson, who moved from the New York area. The lengthy rising-junior called the program his dream school and the offers have continued to come in. Texas and Oklahoma are the most recent offers in, and their impending move to the SEC has his attention considering there is a desire to potentially play in the top conference. Alabama, where his close friend and fellow IMG Tyler Booker plays, will get him back on campus on March 5. UA is a program he is incredibly familiar with having attended the Nick Saban camp since the sixth grade. This spring, trips to USC and other programs in the Pac-12 region could widen the early race for Robinson's services.
Jonathan Echols, who can play tight end or rush the passer at 6'6", was re-offered by Michigan this week following staff changes in Ann Arbor. Texas A&M is another new offer to his name and a visit to College Station could soon be in the works. Notre Dame and Michigan could soon get him on campus for the first time while a return trip to Florida is likely this spring.
Jerrick Gibson recently decommitted from Florida around the same time he made the move to IMG Academy. The running back, who is originally from Gainesville but played varsity football in north Georgia most recently, said his youth and lack of communication with the new staff at Florida contributed to the decision. Ole Miss and Utah are new to contact the rising-junior while programs already on the offer list like Texas have his attention in the short term. Gibson, who says Florida is still a top contender, covets offers from national champion Georgia and Ohio State moving forward.
The new quarterback at IMG Academy is Jayden Bradford, who arrived on campus just Monday. The South Carolina native has been active with many top programs since before making the move, including offers in from South Carolina, Penn State and others. Bradford admits he grew up a Gamecock fan and he has been on campus considerably since adding the offer last year. A program yet to offer is Georgia, who has established contact through offensive coordinator Todd Monken recently, is likely to soon get him on campus.
Class of 2025
Winston Watkins picked Texas A&M in December and he feels even stronger about the pick after his latest trip to College Station. The explosive wide receiver has continued to add scholarship offers since the decision went down, and he is likely to visit places like Ohio State, South Carolina and others, but the commitment solidity is strong. A&M will also get him back on campus this offseason.
"I know I'm staying with Texas A&M," Watkins said.
Brian Smith and Zach Goodall contributed to this report.
