IMG Academy (Bradenton, Florida) is restocking its talent with the 2019 football season rapidly approaching.
On Wednesday, Chosen 25 cornerback Elias Ricks announced he would transfer to the Ascenders program after playing at Mater Dei (Santa Ana, California).
Two days later, another elite player announced he to will attend the Florida powerhouse.
Lovasea Carroll, a four-star 2021 South Carolina commit, tweeted Friday that he transfer to IMG Academy from Warren County (Warrenton, Georgia).
He is listed by the 247Sports Composite as the No. 6 athlete and the No. 10 player in Georgia, and, assuming no ratings change once the site updates his location, Carroll’s .9661 rating would be the No. 11 player in Florida,
New Journey Start July 18‼️🏈#SpursUp🤙🏾 @dzoloty @IMGA_RyanPatty @Rivals_Singer @ChadSimmons_ @247Sports pic.twitter.com/hR06J2R8OJ
— Lovasea Carroll (@LovaseaC) July 12, 2019
As a sophomore at Warren County, Carroll rushed for 1,446 yards on 143 carries and scored 19 touchdowns on the ground to go with four receiving touchdowns.
He also had 55 tackles on defense, where he played linebacker, according to MaxPreps.
At IMG, it’s possible Carroll could focus more attention on running back duties instead of expending energy on defense. He expressed excitement about South Carolina running back coach Thomas Brown’s experience at the position to 247Sports after a visit.
The Ascenders have a host of ranked defensive players, including four-star outside linebacker Ma’a Gaoteote, but may be looking for running back depth after stars Trey Sanders and Noah Cain graduated.
That’s not to say the IMG running back depth chart doesn’t have talent. Incoming junior Chandler McGruder and senior Jack Codwell had some impressive carries at the IMG spring game, and eighth grader Xavier Terrell ran wild.
Nevertheless, Carroll comes in with experience and is expected to be a boon no matter where he plays and ends up on the depth chart.
With the recent additions of Carroll and Ricks, IMG’s roster is getting into shape to be a national contender once again.
