The No. 31 overall ranked player in the Class of 2027 will play his senior season in the Sunshine State.
By: Ross Van De Griek
Josh Leonard, A 6-foot-6 small forward, confirmed with Southeast Hoops Report on Wednesday that he will play his upcoming senior season at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida.
The four-star rising senior previously attended Wilson High School in Florence, South Carolina, where he is coming off a monster junior season in which he averaged 22.1 points, 13.0 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 2.8 steals, and 1.5 blocks per game. He shot 55% from the field, while his outside game needs a little more consistency, as he shot just 25% from the three-point line last season.
This spring, Leonard has been playing with Upward Stars 3SSB on the Adidas circuit, where he is averaging 19.8 points, 8.3 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.0 steals, and 1.3 blocks per game.
Leonard’s recruitment has started to take great shape, where he currently holds offers from Boston College, California, Cincinnati, Clemson, Michigan, South Carolina, Tennessee, Wake Forest, among others.
CLEMSON: “I have consistent communication with Coach (Brownell) and his staff, and I’ve been on campus multiple times.” They have a crazy fan base, which stood out to me when I attended a game last season.
MICHIGAN: “They have a great coaching staff, and they’re the national champions. They like my versatility, playing both sides of the ball. I’ve watched a lot of Yaxel (Lendeborg), and I think we play similar roles, with similar skills.”
SOUTH CAROLINA: “Being on campus at South Carolina is like being home, and it’s great being home, you know, it’s a great feeling playing in front of your friends and family at home.”
TENNESSEE: “I love the way they play together, especially on the defensive side.” They are hard-nosed and physical, which is the same style we run.” Coach (Barnes) and his staff love how physical I play, where I am able to guard positions 1 through 4 as well as still produce high numbers on the offensive end.
On3 Director of Recruiting Jamie Shaw on Leonard: Leonard continues to put forth is hard to ignore. He is a lengthy and strong 6-foot-7. Watching him play, he is aggressive and enjoys getting involved in the dirty work. I like the defensive versatility he brings, and also his ability to rebound in his area. Leonard, who has been South Carolina’s Gatorade Player of the Year the last two seasons, has an offensive game that continues to expand. He is comfortable on the ball, creating advantages from multiple levels in the half-court.
Leonard becomes the second highly ranked prospect to transfer to the Sunshine State in as many days as Michai White transferred from Brewster Academy (NH) to Prolific Prep (FL) on Tuesday.
IMG Academy was established in 1978 with a pioneering concept known as the Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy. IMG Academy has since grown to become a global phenomenon. Today, IMG Academy is the world’s leading sports education brand, providing access and opportunity for student-athletes with an innovative suite of on-campus and online programming.
IMG Academy finished the 2025-2026 season with a 20-9 record but did not receive an invitation to compete in the Chipotle Nationals.
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Ross Van De Griek has been a Southeast Region Scout for On The Radar Hoops since 2024 and has been the Owner/Founder of Southeast Hoops Report since June 2026. You can follow along with his work on X (@SEHoopsReport), Instagram (sehoopsreport), and Facebook (@sehoopsreport).