IMG Academy Wins Battle at the Beach

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>IMG 17 STJ 14</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2024 6'0 185 QB - [player_tooltip player_id='740798' first='Jayden' last='Bradford'] - IMG - Liberty</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Yet again, the IMG dual-threat quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='740798' first='Jayden' last='Bradford'] proved that he can do it all on the football field. With 198 total yards and 2 total touchdowns, Bradford's electric performance paved the way to an Ascenders' victory. He finished the contest with a 71.2 QBR rate, and he also completely outplayed the opposing St. Joe's backfield in its entirety. The Liberty commit looks poised to maintain an undefeated record throughout the season, and, with the way that he's playing, it's most definitely possible for the Ascenders. After a week off, [player_tooltip player_id='740798' first='Jayden' last='Bradford'] and the Ascenders face 2-0 Ben Davis HS in Indianapolis, IN on September 8th.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Highlights: <a href="https://twitter.com/SCNext/status/1695588792403624398?s=20">https://twitter.com/SCNext/status/1695588792403624398?s=20</a></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2024 6'4 275 DL - [player_tooltip player_id='110735' first='David' last='Stone'] - IMG - Oklahoma</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>One of the many highlights of this elite Battle at the Beach matchup was the commitment announcement of 5 star defensive lineman [player_tooltip player_id='110735' first='David' last='Stone']. After dawning their hat, Oklahoma Sooners fans nationwide must be feeling a lot better about their program's future. [player_tooltip player_id='110735' first='David' last='Stone'] was one of the top uncommitted lineman remaining in the nation, and I know for certain that Brent Venables and his staff feel a lot better about their depth at pass rusher now. With a game-sealing sack and a handful of clutch tackles, [player_tooltip player_id='110735' first='David' last='Stone'] continued to wreak havoc on the opposing backfield, and his presence made it extremely difficult for [player_tooltip player_id='164520' first='Samaj' last='Jones'] to get anything going for the Hawks on offense. [player_tooltip player_id='110735' first='David' last='Stone'] has been an all-around game changer for IMG during his time there, and my prediction is that he has the exact same impact on Oklahoma's program if not even more so!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Highlights: <a href="https://t.co/3tV0i5gRHy">https://t.co/3tV0i5gRHy</a></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2024 6'1 185 DB - [player_tooltip player_id='404036' first='Ellis' last='Robinson IV'] - IMG - Georgia</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='404036' first='Ellis' last='Robinson IV'] was absolutely lockdown defensively for the entire game, and he also showed flashes of greatness on the offensive side of the ball as well. When he secured a diving interception, he made the play of the game for the Ascenders which immediately led to IMG's first touchdown of the day. Robinson also ran about an 80 yard punt return all the way to the end zone for a score, but the highlight reel touchdown was called back for holding. Even so, this play emphasizes Robinson's tremendous overall athletic ability, and it shows that his skillset will translate tremendously well at the next level. The Georgia Bulldogs are clearly still the top dogs in the recruiting sector with the signing of such an elite prospect like IMG Academy's [player_tooltip player_id='404036' first='Ellis' last='Robinson IV']. He's currently the #1 ranked player in the ESPN Top 300 for his class. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Highlights:<a href="https://twitter.com/SCNext/status/1695601257174516213?s=20"> https://twitter.com/SCNext/status/1695601257174516213?s=20</a></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2025 6'2 175 WR - [player_tooltip player_id='826644' first='Donovan' last='Olugbode'] - IMG</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In this highly competitive contest, there wasn't a more impressive receiver on the field than [player_tooltip player_id='826644' first='Donovan' last='Olugbode'] of IMG Academy. Olugbode was the only pass catcher to record a touchdown score in this game, and, with a 45 yard catch and run, he did so in emphatic fashion. In total, he hauled-in 3 catches for 60 yards and a touchdown, and he demonstrated great chemistry with his QB- [player_tooltip player_id='740798' first='Jayden' last='Bradford']. It's no coincidence that Olugbode already has a bunch of elite D1 offers from: Georgia, Florida, Tennessee, Wisconsin, UC Boulder, UMiami, Iowa, Nebraska, Michigan State, Illinois, and many more. He's currently on pace to have the best statistical season of his career, and my prediction is that we see another strong performance from him against Ben Davis on the 9th of September.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Highlights: <a href="https://twitter.com/IMGAFootball/status/1696541741371854956?s=20">https://twitter.com/IMGAFootball/status/1696541741371854956?s=20</a></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2024 5'10 195 RB - [player_tooltip player_id='404033' first='Jerrick' last='Gibson'] - IMG - Texas</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='404033' first='Jerrick' last='Gibson'] ran for more yards than any other IMG ball carrier over the weekend, and he cemented his status as the #1 RB option on the Ascenders' depth chart. Gibson ran the ball 4x more than any other IMG ball carrier, and he still managed to average more than 3 yards per carry. He doesn't shy away from the passing game, and I believe that his involvement in that sector will grow as he continues to gain confidence with that part of his skillset. [player_tooltip player_id='404033' first='Jerrick' last='Gibson'] recently made his commitment to Texas, and I think it's pretty obvious that this is a match made in heaven for both parties. All of Longhorn nation must be beyond excited with the signing of such an elite RB talent like [player_tooltip player_id='404033' first='Jerrick' last='Gibson']!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Highlights: <a href="https://t.co/8uQ8qIKQHg">https://t.co/8uQ8qIKQHg</a></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->