Oklahoma Commit Jake Kreul Returns Home as IMG Academy Faces The First Academy in Kickoff Classic

The five-star edge rusher and former Bishop Moore standout leads No. 6 IMG into Orlando against a TFA squad loaded with Power 5 talent

IMG five-star edge rusher Jake Kreul, a former Bishop Moore star, will return to Orlando with the Ascenders on Thursday when they take on The First Academy in a preseason Kickoff Classic game. Kreul committed to Oklahoma on Tuesday. / Jake Kreul

Fourteen months ago, Jake Kreul announced he was transferring from Bishop Moore to national powerhouse IMG Academy in Bradenton to further his high school football career.

Kreul’s Homecoming

On Thursday, the five-star edge rusher and Oklahoma commit will enjoy a Homecoming of sorts when he returns to Orlando with the Ascenders to take on The First Academy in a preseason Kickoff Classic game. IMG is ranked No. 6 nationally by a host of national media outlets, including High School on SI. Kickoff is 7 p.m.

“I am so excited for this game,” said Kreul, who turned a lot of heads while playing his first two seasons at Bishop Moore in 2022 and 2023. “This is more than just a ‘coming home’ game for me. I train every weekend at TFA with Aaron Jones and now he is going to be coaching against me. Just crazy to think that because Aaron has been so instrumental to my development. So much respect for him.

“Then, of course, a lot of guys I train with are at TFA,” Kreul said, “so, this will be a super fun game. “Also, I’m very thankful it’s on Thursday night so a lot of coaches and friends get to see me play the first game of my senior year. Thursday night is going to be special.”

Kreul said his grandmother, aunts and uncles all live in Apopka, an Orange County city renowned for producing football talent, including Warren Sapp, who starred for the University of Miami before going on to play for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and winning a Super Bowl.

Why He Chose Oklahoma

At 6-foot-3, 235 pounds, Kreul has a chance to carve his own niche in the college football world next fall. He committed to Oklahoma over Ole Miss and Texas, announcing his decision on “The Pat McAfee Show” on Tuesday.

“The opportunity to play for a defensive-minded head coach and one of the best minds in the sport in coach (Brent) Venables is something you may not get at every school,” Kreul said on the ESPN show. “That piece is something that’s been very present for me throughout in terms of building my relationship with Oklahoma.”

On the Field Impact

But first things, first. Kreul has a senior season to play through and IMG is expected to have another great season. Kreul recorded 39 tackles, 11 hurries and six sacks as a junior at IMG. He had 76 tackles, 34 tackles for loss and 17 sacks as a sophomore at Bishop Moore.

The Ascenders boast a boatload of talent alongside Kreul, including senior defensive back Zech Fort (Georgia) and offensive lineman Keenyi Pope (USC), as well as sophomore newcomers Eric McFarland, a wide receiver, and Jayden Wade, a quarterback who is already tabbed as the No. 1 prospect in the 2028 class by at least one media outlet.

TFA’s Star Power

TFA, which went 9-1 on the field last year before forfeiting its victories because of FHSAA rules violations, boasts some superb talent of its own:

• Chancellor Barclay, OL: (6-4, 290), a Clemson commit
• Devin Jackson, Safety: Committed to Oregon
• Demetrice McCray, WR: Committed to Pitt
• Alex Willis, DE: Committed to Georgia Tech

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Jeff Gardenour can be reached via email at or X @JMarkG1962