IMG Academy Bringing In Son Of NBA Legend, Notre Dame Football Commit For 2026

Hakeem Olajuwon’s son, Jackson Vaughn both transferring to top Florida high school.

JL3 Abdul-Malik Olajuwon (10) dribbles during the third day of the 2026 Nike EYBL Peach Jam at Riverview Park Activities Center in North Augusta, S.C., on Thursday, July 16, 2026. JL3 defeated Drive Nation 61-59. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The son of an NBA legend and Hall of Famer is headed to one of the top high school athletic programs in the country.

Malik Olajuwon, the son of NBA champion Hakeem Olajuwon, will follow his older brother to IMG Academy. Malik Olajuwon most recently played for Fort Bend Clements High School, which is located in Sugar Land, Texas.

Prior to heading off to Stanford University, Aziz Olajuwon also transferred to IMG Academy for his senior season of high school basketball. Sam Kayser first reported the news on X (formerly known as Twitter) of the decision by Olajuwon to leave Texas for Florida.

The younger Olajuwon is a four-star guard who holds offers from programs such as Texas Tech, SMU, TCU and Minnesota. He averaged just under 22 points per game last season for Fort Bend Clements, adding seven rebounds, three assists and more than two blocks a night while shooting 43 percent from the field.

Olajuwon was part of the Canada team that captured gold at the U18 AmeriCup.

According to 247Sports, the 6-foot-4 Olajuwon was the No. 10 overall player in Texas high school boys basketball for his class, the No. 25 overall shooting guard and the No. 146 player in the country. The 247Sports Composite rankings have him seventh in Texas, 11th at shooting guard and 83rd overall.

Hakeem Olajuwon had a standout career in college before becoming the No. 1 pick in the 1984 NBA Draft - which included Michael Jordan, who went third overall. He was an MVP winner and helped the Houston Rockets claim both the 1994 and 1995 NBA championships.

IMG Academy went 20-9 overall last season and hired a new head basketball coach in Jackson Johnson during the offseason. Johnson replaces Sean McAloon, who led the program to the first-ever national championship in 2019.

Jackson Vaughn Transferring To Play Football At IMG Academy

One of the top New Jersey high school football players in the state is headed elsewhere for the upcoming season.

According to NJ.com, Jackson Vaughn is leaving Bergen Catholic High School to play football for IMG Academy.

Vaughn is a Notre Dame commit who reclassified to the Class of 2027 from the Class of 2028 just prior to committing to play for Marcus Freeman and the Irish.

The 6-foot-4, 225-pound defensive lineman had 35 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss and 6.5 quarterback sacks this past year after registering 11 tackles for loss and eight quarterback sacks as a freshman.

According to 247Sports, Vaughn is now the 13th-ranked player in Florida, the No. 15 edge rusher and the No. 112 player overall in his class.

He holds over 50 offers, including from schools such as Alabama, Auburn, Ohio State, Oregon, North Carolina, Texas, Florida, Florida State and defending national champion Indiana.