High school football Top 25 Preseason Early Contenders: No. 4 IMG Academy

By Mitch Stephens May 31, 2016, 12:00am

The Florida school that evokes strong opinions both ways has a strong roster again.

PREVIOUS: No. 3 Bishop GormanNEXT: No. 5 Cedar Hill


Video: Early Contenders - IMG Academy
See the talent the Ascenders have assembled.

Head coach: Kevin Wright

2015 record (MaxPreps national rank): 9-0, does not participate in playoffs (No. 9)

Last decade: 27-3 (fourth-year program)

Star power: QB Kellen Mond (104), LBs Dylan Moses (2), Jordan Anthony (117) and Santino Marchiol (259), DE Joshua Kaindoh (22, Maryland), S Isaiah Pryor (43, Ohio State), WR Jhamon Ausbon (65), G Robert Hainsey (69), CB Marcus Williamson (118, Ohio State), C Cesar Ruiz (138), DT Camaron Spence (254, Maryland) and TE Tre' Mckitty (420)



Even more: Beyond eight other seniors on recruiting lists, defensive tackle Taron Vincent (17), receiver Brian Hightower (108) and safety Mike Jones (109) are among the top recruits from the Class of 2018.

See the IMG Academy preseason Top 25 photo shoot gallery

Game to watch:
Opener at No. 2 Grayson (Loganville, Ga.), Aug. 27.

Briefly:
All those star recruits, but not a single running back among them. … IMG is not eligible for the playoffs, but its 12-game schedule includes two trips to California to face No. 20 Centennial (Corona, Calif.) and longtime national power Long Beach Poly (Calif.), plus a Florida showdown with No. 18 Trinity Christian Academy (Jacksonville, Fla.). … Moses (6-foot-2, 220 pounds), from Louisiana, committed to LSU as a freshman but reopened his recruiting. LSU, Texas and Alabama are considered frontrunners.

See a full preview of the Ascenders on June 30.
Photo by Marc Estrada/Graphic by SocialRecluse Graphx