2022 Recruit Dayne Shor Hoping Transfer to IMG Academy Helps Development, Talks LSU Football Offer
At the beginning of quarantine, Dayne Shor received a phone call from Bobby Acosta, the head coach at IMG Academy. IMG is one of the powerhouse high school football programs in the country and after spending two seasons at Denmark High School in his hometown of Alpharetta, Georgia, Shor felt it was time for a change.
With Denmark undergoing a coaching transition, Shor, after weeks of pondering the decision, ultimately elected to transfer to IMG, where he figures to be a linchpin on the offensive line.
"The whole reason I decided to come here is I want to make an impact in college early," Shor said. "As soon as I get there I want to be competing for a starting spot, that's a major goal for me. I feel like at IMG I have a higher chance of reaching those goals."
Shor has only been with the program for about a month but he's already become close with teammate Tyler Booker, who's one of the top offensive tackle prospects in the 2022 class. The competition will be fierce as 2021 offensive tackle Alabama commit JC Latham also resides on the IMG offensive line.
LSU is recruiting both Booker and Shor, who are on the same side of the line at right guard and right tackle. Shor said it's been really great getting to know him and talk over the recruiting process with someone who's being recruited by a lot of the same schools.
"I feel like me and Tyler have a lot of similarities in how we play and getting to play side by side with him has been a great experience," Shor said. "We've talked about LSU a bunch and the coaches and how much we like the different coaches. It's nice to be able to have people that are in your shoes because recruitment can get overwhelming at times."
In addition to LSU, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Auburn, Tennessee, Texas A&M and Oregon are just a few of the major Division I programs to offer Shor at this point. It wasn't until this past spring when Shor's recruitment really started to take off.
He remembers receiving four offers in one afternoon and it was around that time when the Tigers came calling. While on vacation at the beach, Shor received a call from one of his Denmark high school coaches that LSU wanted to talk to him.
Since the offer in May, Shor has spoken with coach James Cregg once a week and hopped on the phone with Ed Orgeron a handful of times as well.
"Coach Cregg thinks I have the potential to be a big time SEC offensive tackle and thinks I can fit really well into that program," Shor said. "He calls me and Tyler 'the big two' because he's said we're the two guys he really wants."
Though he's only spoken with Orgeron about five or six times, Shor said the Tigers' coach doesn't lack in energy and that he's someone he feels comfortable talking to.
"He wants me on the team really bad and how I can bring good things to the table for them, so I've really enjoyed talking with coach O," Shor said. "He's definitely one of the guys I can talk to for hours and never get bored."
At 6-foot-6, 300 pounds, Shor is currently ranked as a top-250 prospect in the country on 247Sports composite rankings. On the field, Shor feels his feet and the quickness in which he gets off the ball are the two biggest strengths in his game as he approaches his junior season.
"I also feel that I have a high football IQ and that I'm a very coachable player as well," Shor said. "I've always been told that I give really good effort and a lot of college coaches are in agreement about that."
Continuing to develop his skills is something Shor is always working on, particularly now that he's set to be a starting offensive lineman at IMG Academy. Shor has spent the offseason building strength and he feels he's approaching the goals he set out for himself.
He's been at IMG for about a month and already feels he's getting the most out of his experience at one of the top programs in the country. Shor and his teammates are working out two or three times a week, where the sole focus isn't on how much weight they're lifting but rather the optimal movement of the lift itself.
"Making sure that we're bending deep enough on squats and getting the most out of bench press is a big area of focus for us. I'm working on my steps as an offensive lineman and I really feel like I've improved a ton this offseason," Shor said. "Whether it's my pass sets or my run game, I'm really just trying to become better all around."
LSU is at the top of Shor's list of program's he hopes to visit once the recruiting dead period is lifted. The program that Orgeron is building in Baton Rouge is one Shor thinks will be sustainable because of the way he recruits and his ability to adapt.
"LSU is definitely one of my favorite schools so far and I love what coach O has done and what coach Cregg has done with the o-line. I think they have a really good thing going for them," Shor said. "Them winning the national championship, I don't think it's going to be the last in the next five years. They have a shot at winning more and are certainly in a good spot right now."
