Preston Carey made a move that had been anticipated for some time, after helping St. Anthony’s win a State Championship as a Freshman and coming back his Sophomore season to be one of the best players in the NYCHSFL for the second straight year Carey heads to IMG Academy where he will continue to develop against a national schedule and some of the best recruits in the nation. Carey will continue to showcase why he is one of the most sought after 2026 recruits in the nation.

Carey just announced his decision to transfer to IMG Academy and it’s safe to say they will be getting a star. Carey was a leader for the Friars defense just as a sophomore. He had a signature game against St Joseph Regional (NJ) and proved along with his size that he is one of the most skilled lineman you’ll see. Carey was a monster this past season and he’ll do great things at IMG next season.

Big time players make big time plays in big time games, and that is what Carey did last week vs St Joseph Regional. Carey did it all against the Green Knights. He had one of his best performances of his career on the defensive line against an excellent team. Carey had a huge tackle on Pitt commit Yasin Willis on 4th down to give his team possession. The Friars would then use Carey on offense as a blocker. They would go down and score and ultimately win the game. Carey will look to have another a big game in a championship rematch.

One of the best prospects we’ve ever seen come out of New York. The top 2026 prospect in the state was a no-brainer for this list. Carey had a great freshman year at defensive tackle and showed why he’s one of the best in the nation. His measurables are off the charts at 6’5 and 285 pounds and mixed with his athleticism he will be very difficult to handle up front. Carey has offers from LSU, Georgia, Ohio State and other top schools in America.

There is no surprise that Preston Carey Preston Carey 6'5" | 280 lbs | DL IMG Academy | 2026 State FL was in the top three in this voting. He ended up finishing second after gaining 6,000+ votes. And after all the attention he’s gotten and an amazing freshman year, Carey is one of the exciting prospects New York has ever had. At 6’5 290, he was a dominant defensive tackle and it was hard to believe he was just a freshman. His get off was incredible, along with his pure strength and body control guided him to a ton of disruption. His measurables are unbelievable and he has offers from almost every major college program in the nation. The top 2026 in our New York rankings will be in for an even bigger sophomore year. Now with a full season under his belt, look for his IQ and athleticism to take the next step. Offensive coordinators will be up all night trying to find a way to slow him down this season.

#1 is probably the most difficult spot for some to judge. In my opinion it is not hard at all. There have been only 6 247sports 5-Star player to come out of New York since 2000 (list below). Preston Carey Preston Carey 6'5" | 280 lbs | DL IMG Academy | 2026 State FL is next to be in line, and while I have no insight where 247 will land on Carey he has the tape, he has the measurables, and he has offers. Carey may be a 2026, but he is in my opinion easily a top 3 players in the state and because I expect a very high 4-star or 5-star by his name when 247 drops their class of 2026 rankings he gets the #1 spot. A list of Carey’s offers are also below.

5-stars from New York since 2000 (247Sports)

2001 – Leon Williams – Canarsie – #1 ILB #11 Overall – Miami

2005 – Jason Gwaltney – North Babylon – #5 RB – #25 Overall – West Virginia

2006 – Maurice Evans – Christ The King – #1 SDE – #30 Overall – Penn State

2010 – Dominique Easley – Curtis – #1 DT – #4 Overall – Florida

2011 – Ishaq Williams – Abraham Lincoln – #3 OLB – #26 Overall – Notre Dame

2017 – Isaiah Wilson – Poly Prep – #5 OT – #16 Overall – Georgia

Preston Carey Preston Carey 6'5" | 280 lbs | DL IMG Academy | 2026 State FL ‘s 24 Division One Offers (in order they were received)

LSU, Western Illinois, Temple, Georgia, Michigan, Rutgers, Penn State, Texas A&M, Tennessee, Syracuse, Pittsburgh, South Carolina, Auburn, Texas, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Nebraska, Colorado, Boston College, Michigan State, UConn, West Virginia, Oklahoma, and North Carolina

Preston Carey Preston Carey 6'5" | 280 lbs | DL IMG Academy | 2026 State FL is not only the top player in New York in the 2026 cycle but as recruiting sites start to come out with National rankings for the 2026 class, I would expect Preston Carey Preston Carey 6'5" | 280 lbs | DL IMG Academy | 2026 State FL ‘s name to be at/near the top of many of them. Carey not only has the P5 size and P5 offers to back it up but when you watch the tape or even see him in person (I was able to twice) he has a much more developed game than just size and youth. His upfield burst is really nice and his ability to work through double teams using length and strength is impressive. Most offenses throw multiple blockers at Carey because left 1v1 he has really nice counter moves and sheds blocks really well due to his upper body strength. Not many in the state have or have ever had a skillset this advanced at such a young age. Carey has the measurables, skills, and strength to be a national known defensive tackle in the coming years.