No school has produced elite football talent and NFL Draft picks quite like Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy. The prep powerhouse, which can recruit players from across the country, has amassed dozens of five-stars and other top recruits on its rosters over the past decade.
Those players have turned into some of the NFL’s best players to date, and in total IMG has nearly two-dozen former Ascenders on rosters for the 2024 season.
Below are the top alumni and NFL Draft picks to come through IMG Academy:
1. OT JC Latham
Draft Position: 2024 Round 1, Pick 7 (Tennessee Titans)
College: Alabama
JC Latham — who was a Five-Star Plus+ recruit and the No. 2 overall prospect in the country in the Class of 2021— was a two-year starter for Alabama at right tackle. Alabama’s coaches graded him with 41 knockdown blocks in 813 snaps in the 2023 season – 3.2 per game. After a standout junior year, he entered the NFL Draft early and had his name called by Tennessee 7th overall in the first round.
2. OT Evan Neal
Draft Position: 2022 Round 1, Pick 7 (New York Giants)
College: Alabama
Evan Neal was a consensus five-star and No. 1 offensive tackle was an Under Armour All-American. He played his freshman season in his hometown at Okeechobee (Fla.) High before transferring to IMG Academy. Neal originally committed to Alabama as a freshman but decommited less than two weeks later before eventually signing with the Tide. Neal started at left guard as a freshman for Alabama before moving outside to right tackle as a sophomore as the Crimson Tide finished the season undefeated and won the national championship.
3. QB J.J. McCarthy
Draft Position: 2024 Round 1, Pick 10 (Minnesota Vikings)
College: Michigan
J.J. McCarthy was a two-time All-Big Ten selection, and he finished his career with a 27-1 record as a starter, the best winning percentage (96.4) by any college quarterback since Toledo’s Chuck Ealey (1971) and Oklahoma’s Jimmy Harris (1956). He led the Wolverines to the national title in 2024, their first since 2000, before being selected by the Vikings.
4. IOL Cesar Ruiz
Draft Position: 2020 Round 1, Pick 24 (New Orleans Saints)
College: Michigan
As a junior, Cesar Ruiz started all 13 of Michigan’s games at center, allowing only eight total quarterback pressures in 447 snaps and was named the best pass blocking center in college football by Pro Football Focus. He was later named second-team All-Big Ten by the coaches and third-team by the media. The Saints drafted Ruiz with the No. 24 overall pick in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft out of Michigan.
5. CB Greg Newsome
Draft Position: 2021 Round 1, Pick 26 (Cleveland Browns)
College: Northwestern
Despite being ranked as a three-star prospect out of high school, Greg Newsome was one of the nation’s most productive defensive backs during his three seasons at Northwestern. Newsome recorded 71 tackles and one interception over three years, starting 18 games and leading the Wildcats to two Big Ten title games. After his junior season, he entered the NFL Draft and was taken 26th overall by the Cleveland Browns.
6. LB Nolan Smith
Draft Position: 2023 Round 1, Pick 30
College: Georgia
Nolan Smith was an On3 Five-Star Plus+ recruit coming out of Bradenton (Florida) IMG Academy in the 2019 recruiting class. Smith was the co-winner of the Bulldogs’ Defensive Newcomer of the Year award in 2019 after finishing with 18 tackles and 2.5 sacks. He started one of 10 games in 2020 – recording 22 tackles and 2.5 sacks – before breaking out in 2021, starting 14 games for the national champions. During the 2021 season, he racked up 56 tackles, nine tackles for a loss, 3.5 sacks and one interception. He also led the squad with three forced fumbles. Smith started the first eight games of the Bulldogs’ 2022 title march before suffering a season-ending torn pectoral muscle.
7. S Grant Delpit
Draft Position: 2020 Round 2, Pick 44 (Cleveland Browns)
College: LSU
Grant Delpit made an early impact at LSU, starting 10 of 13 games as a true freshman and recording 60 tackles. Following a junior season that saw him win the Jim Thorpe Award (best defensive back) and a national title, he declared for the NFL Draft. Cleveland selected him No. 44 overall in the second round. In December 2023, he signed a three-year extension with the Browns worth over $36 million.
8. WR KJ Hamler
Draft Position: 2020 Round 2, Pick 46 (Denver Broncos)
College: Penn State
After tearing his ACL as a senior in high school, KJ Hamler redshirted his first season at Penn State before notching 98 catches and more than 1,600 receiving yards over the next two seasons. He was selected midway through the second round of the 2020 Draft after declaring following his redshirt sophomore season.
9. CB DJ Turner II
Draft Position: 2023 Round 2, Pick 60 (Cincinnati Bengals)
College: Michigan
DJ Turner II attended Suwanee (Ga.) North Gwinnett and helped the team win a state title before transferring to IMG Academy for his senior season. Turner played mostly on special teams during his first two years for Michigan before breaking out as a junior in 2021. He made eight starts at cornerback and earned All-Big Ten honorable mention from the coaches and media. Turner came back in 2022, intercepting one pass and returning a fumble 45 yards for a touchdown. He was taken No. 60 overall by Cincinnati in the 2023 Draft.
10. S Andre Cisco
Draft Position: 2021 Round 3, Pick 65 (Jacksonville Jaguars)
College: Syracuse
As a somewhat unheralded three-star recruit out of IMG, Andre Cisco signed with Syracuse as a member of their 2018 recruiting class. He broke out immediately as a contributor, starting 11 of 13 games, notching 60 tackles and leading the country with seven interceptions. As a sophomore, he added five more interceptions to go along with 65 tackles. He only played in two games during the COVID-shortened 2020 season, but was taken in the third round of the 2021 Draft by Jacksonville.
