All-IMG Academy Team: Defense

IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., has been controversial since season its inaugural football season in 2013. But love it or hate it, the program has produced some very talented players in its four seasons. Here’s our first-team all-defense from the academy.

Mark Pszonak contributed to this report.

MORE: All-IMG Offense | Rivals QB Week

The skinny: Kaindoh had two highly productive seasons at IMG, finishing with 48 tackles and 3.5 sacks in 2015 and then 41 tackles and 7.5 sacks in 2016. He committed to Maryland early but flipped to Florida State in the end. He also took official visits to Alabama and Penn State before his commitment to the Seminoles in late December. After enrolling early at Florida State, Kaindoh has already caught everyone’s attention in Tallahassee. Look for him to get plenty of opportunities to make an early impact this fall.

Farrell’s take: Kaindoh is a freak athletically. His evaluations were up and down as he started off as a pure outside pass rusher who could pursue in the run game and ended up as a versatile inside or outside rusher who could hold the edge. His ranking was so high for a reason; he can be dominant if he wants.

The skinny: During his one season at IMG, Sparaco totaled 46 tackles, eight tackles for a loss and 2.5 sacks in 2016. Originally hailing from Colorado, the Buffaloes were always atop Sparaco’s list. He made a late February commitment to the Buffaloes over offers from Colorado State, Air Force, Utah State and a few Ivy League schools. Arriving in Boulder in January, Sparaco already has the size and motor to contribute as a true freshman. He has taken snaps at outside linebacker this summer so look for him to back up Dereck McCartney there this fall.

Farrell’s take: Talk about a weird path of development, Sparaco went from a 6-foot-3, 195-pound quarterback prospect to a filled-out, 265-pound defensive end. His motor was non-stop, he loves to work off contact and he was a leader by example as I guess you’d expect from a former quarterback. He’ll be a big contributor for Colorado regardless of position.

The skinny: About to enter his senior season at IMG, Vincent had a memorable junior campaign with 92 tackles, 10 tackles for a loss and five sacks. With recruiting, Vincent named Ohio State his leader nearly a year prior to his commitment to the Buckeyes. While the Buckeyes were a heavy favorite, they did have to hold off a serious push from Florida State at the time of his decision. Vincent seems very solid to Ohio State at this point, but don’t expect many of the national powers to stop recruiting him this fall, especially if he has another season at IMG like he had in 2016.

Farrell’s take: Vincent is entering year No. 2 at IMG but his first year places him squarely on this list. At times he was unblockable despite double teams and he outplayed older players consistently. We will see if he takes the next step in his development as he garners even more attention, but he’s a monster in the middle for sure.

The skinny: With 58 tackles, 12 tackles for a loss and 7.5 sacks, Froholdt made the most of his one season at IMG. Hailing from Denmark, Froholdt committed to Arkansas during his junior season. At Arkansas he actually made the move from defensive tackle to left guard after the 2015 season. He adjusted quickly as he started all 13 games at his new position last fall and was named to the Outland Trophy Watch List prior to the 2017 season.

Farrell’s take: There were many questions about Froholdt as he headed to IMG because European-based prospects can be hit or miss. But his adjustment to the level of talent and physical nature led us to feeling comfortable to have him in our Rivals250. His defensive mentality has helped him on offense at Arkansas and he’s turning into one of the best in the SEC.

The skinny: Smith totaled 48 tackles, eight tackles for a loss and three sacks during his one IMG season. He committed to Clemson early but then reopened his process to take a closer look at a few other schools. Eventually, after also taking official visits to Oregon, LSU, Maryland and Auburn, he recommitted to Clemson at the Under Armour All-American Game. With Clemson possessing a loaded linebacking corps in 2016, Smith’s redshirt already seems to have been beneficial as he has had an impressive spring and summer, which should lead to big things in 2017.

Farrell’s take: I saw Smith since he was a freshman in high school and he just got bigger and more versatile with every year. His length made him dangerous covering ground and getting after the passer, while his instincts allowed him to make some key plays in the backfield. He’s the rare re-commitment as he committed to Clemson twice and I have him on my redshirt breakout list for this season.

The skinny: Moses had a huge 2016 season at IMG, finishing with 106 tackles, eight tackles for a loss and two sacks. With his name in the recruiting limelight since the eighth grade, Moses initially committed to LSU but reopened his process to take a closer look at a few other programs. The Tigers remained a serious contender until the end, but with Les Miles being fired at LSU, it was too much to overcome Alabama and Nick Saban. Playing time for true freshman linebackers is not the norm at Alabama, but Moses has shown a great deal of athleticism and potential this summer, so it should be interesting to see if he actually avoids a redshirt.

Farrell’s take: Arguably one of the most hyped recruits in our history, Moses was on everyone’s radar since seventh grade. Once he developed from a running back to a pure linebacker, we didn’t see the same development we wanted until he dominated at IMG his final year. The rare prospect to earn a fifth star, lose it and gain it back, he could be an absolute star at Alabama with his natural athleticism. And, amazingly, he could be a better running back than a linebacker.

The skinny: Anthony actually played running back during his junior season at IMG and then linebacker during his senior season. He committed to Michigan over Auburn, Maryland, Penn State and Oklahoma in late December. With some question marks on the Michigan defense this season, Anthony is one of an impressive group of true freshman linebackers who have an opportunity to contribute early. To this point he seems to have taken that opportunity by the horns as he has been impressive during summer workouts.

Farrell’s take: I always liked Anthony. At first at IMG he was a nasty, physical running back and a kid I could see playing that position at the next level even though he was a linebacker at heart. But when he got to play linebacker his senior season, he turned it on and became a five-star. He’s not that long or tall, but his instincts and hitting ability make up for that and he will dominate in Don Brown’s system at Michigan.

The skinny: Smith totaled 110 tackles, seven tackles for a loss and five interceptions during his two seasons at IMG. While he committed to LSU nearly a year before his National Signing Day, and while rumors occasionally swirled that he may have been looking at other schools, he never seriously wavered on his pledge. Smith saw playing time in the last seven games of his true freshman season, but then abruptly decided to transfer in late May. He will play this fall at Mississippi Gulf Coast C.C. before transferring to a four-year program for the spring semester.

Farrell’s Take: Smith started off as a five-star cornerback but struggled in outside coverage many times when we saw him so we moved him to safety and dropped him to four-stars. I feel that was the right ranking because he’s much better working the middle of the field, tracking the ball and coming up and hitting. Time will tell what position he ends up playing, but he had a very good career at IMG. He will rebound and impact somewhere.

The skinny: With 47 tackles, four interceptions and six passes defended, Delpit had a very productive solo season at IMG. His commitment LSU came at The Opening after he had trimmed his list to the Tigers, Florida and Clemson. It’s not often that LSU has a few holes in the secondary, but Delpit has already been given the opportunity during the spring and summer to become an early contributor. And at this point he has responded favorably so expect to see the frosh on the field in Death Valley.

Farrell’s take: I always liked Delpit’s ball skills and ability to close on the football, and even mentioned him as one of the guys who could outplay his ranking. Personally, I think he could be a star at LSU if he adds a bit more speed and becomes more aggressive and consistent in tackling.

The skinny: Williamson totaled 36 tackles, two fumble recoveries and an interception during his one season at IMG. There was little drama in Williamson’s recruiting process as he committed to Ohio State nearly two years before his own Signing Day. Once again there was a great deal of transition in Ohio State’s secondary, but it seems likely that Williamson will redshirt this fall despite his speed and athleticism.

Farrell’s Take: Williamson was always good in coverage but his size held him back from our Rivals250. We felt he might struggle with bigger receivers and coming up in run support, but we did like him enough to keep him as a four-star because he is fast and can turn and run with anyone. Based on Ohio State’s recent track record with defensive backs, he will either be a star or be forced to transfer.

The skinny: Pryor finished the 2016 season with 54 tackles at IMG. As with Williamson, Pryor was an early commitment to Ohio State. Making his decision nearly 18 months before his National Signing Day, he never wavered on his word and signed with the Buckeyes. Pryor has been one of the more impressive true freshman defensive backs in this class so look for him to make his mark at safety this season.

Farrell’s Take: Pryor was a big and physical defensive back who liked to tackle and made some big plays over the middle. He was smart, rarely read the play wrong and always seemed to be in good position. He just needed to add a bit more speed and work on his hips and change of direction a bit.