Recruiting: Ohio State prospects blossom at Florida academy
Safety Isaiah Pryor, left, has teamed with follow Ohio State recruit Marcus Williamson at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida. Williamson left Westerville South for IMG to develop his skills at cornerback.
For Marcus Williamson, leaving Westerville South during his junior year to attend the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, was not a hard choice.
Nor is it one the cornerback regrets.
“I came here for better competition and overall player development,” Williamson said.
In two months, he and his roommate, safety Isaiah Pryor, will enroll at Ohio State to get a jump-start on their college career. Williamson believes that IMG, a private boarding school, has already given him that.
“I think I’ve gotten bigger,” he said. “I’ve gotten stronger. On a leadership level, I think I’ve grown. I’ve grown as a person being away from home and having to learn in a new environment.
“I think I’m a smarter player now, going against such great competition every day in practice.”
IMG’s football program has existed for only four years and already is among the best in the country. An independent, the Ascenders are 9-0 and ranked third nationally heading into this week’s game against St. Frances Academy of Baltimore.
Williamson and Pryor are a big part of IMG’s success.
“The fact that they’re athletically gifted is one thing,” IMG coach Kevin Wright said. “But they’re smart kids in the classroom and have high football IQs. They are guys who are very impressive on the field and also off the field.”
Wright said the players are opposites in personality. Pryor is quiet. Williamson is more of a free spirit who carries himself with swagger, especially on the field.
“You’ve got to, playing my position,” Williamson said. “My parents taught me to always think before you speak and have an educated opinion. But at the same time you have to express how you feel and try to better those around you.”
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