IMG Academy is about to look a lot like a stop on the Syracuse basketball recruiting trail.
The Bradenton, Fla., powerhouse is expected to be in the mix for a high school national championship in the 2026-27 season, according to analysts and prep coaches who spoke with Inside the Loud House. And with Jackson Johnson now running the show, the Ascenders already have one of the country’s most intriguing young wings on the roster in 2028 five-star Will Brunson.
Brunson, who transferred earlier this summer from Rutgers Preparatory School in Somerset, N.J., was an All-American as a sophomore and is expected to spend his final two prep seasons at IMG. Johnson, who last season led The Newman School in Boston to its first-ever national prep title, did not hide his excitement about what Brunson brings.
"He's great. An electric-scoring talent," Johnson says of Brunson, adding that he is a "ferocious worker" and finishing with, "I can’t wait," Johnson says.
The Syracuse connection is already in place. Brunson, a 6-foot-6, 185-pound wing/small forward with a 6-foot-11 wingspan, was first offered by Syracuse under Adrian Autry in June 2025.
He also took an unofficial visit to Syracuse last December, and the new Orange staff under first-year head coach Gerry McNamara has re-offered him. Brunson is one of more than a dozen 2028 prospects to pick up a Syracuse offer so far.
Johnson said Syracuse will likely come through IMG for an open gym this fall, and he also believes the Orange staff will be on hand once the fall recruiting period opens next month.
Brunson’s offer list is already loaded. Along with Syracuse, he has offers from Auburn, Fairfield, Rider, Rutgers, La Salle, Seton Hall, Mississippi State, TCU, Oklahoma State, Notre Dame, N.C. State, Villanova, Ole Miss, Louisville, Providence, Kansas, Indiana and Georgia Tech.
The production has backed up the hype. As a sophomore at Rutgers Prep in 2025-26, Brunson averaged 22.1 points, 8.4 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game and earned a spot on the MaxPreps sophomore All-America second team.
He also spent this spring and summer playing up a division for the 17U team of New York City-based Renaissance Hoops in Nike’s EYBL league. At the Peach Jam in North Augusta, S.C., the season-ending event, the NY Rens reached the Elite Eight. Brunson’s role was smaller against older competition, but Johnson said he handled the challenge the right way.
"He wants freaking hard coaching ... he doesn't really have a ceiling," Johnson said.
In EYBL play, Brunson averaged 7.2 points, 2.7 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game while shooting 40.4 percent from the field, 27.1 percent from 3-point range and 75.0 percent from the free-throw line, according to the league’s website.
Brunson’s stock is already high nationally. He is ranked as high as No. 19 in the 2028 class by 247Sports, and both the 247Sports Composite and Rivals Industry Ranking place him inside the top 30.
IMG’s pipeline to Syracuse is nothing new. In recent years, several players who spent time there, either on the national team or post-grad squad, went on to play for the Orange, including current sophomore forward Sadiq White Jr., Donnie Freeman, Benny Williams, Jesse Edwards, Justin Taylor and Quadir Copeland.
Johnson also said he became close with McNamara when McNamara and several Syracuse assistants were at Siena, while Johnson was at Newman. He stays in touch regularly with former Siena assistant Ben Lee, who is now on McNamara’s staff at Syracuse.
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