IMG Academy | Scott Patchan's senior season wiped out, but he's still early enrolling at the University of Miami

BRADENTON -- Scott Patchan's senior football season began with a scorching start in the Kickoff Classic, where he racked up 11 tackles, two sacks and two pass deflections as a defensive end against traditional power Tallahassee Godby.

Then his season ended just as his transition to IMG Academy was taking shape.

Patchan tore the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his right knee in the game and was lost for the 2014 season. He turned the corner on a rush, and it "just popped" against Godby without any contact, he said.

"It was a wake-up call that anything can definitely happen," Patchan said. "I just needed to keep doing what I was doing, and that's playing every play like it's your last, and come to find out it really was my last (for the season)."

Despite the setback, Patchan's career isn't at a standstill. Patchan, who transferred to IMG from Tampa Freedom for his senior year, is early enrolling at the University of Miami in January. He verbally committed to the Hurricanes on Thursday.

To work his way back, Patchan set mini-goals to push through his current rehab program. From regaining

the range of motion to starting plyometrics and running ahead of schedule, Patchan has achieved each goal he has set for himself.

Attaining those goals and his family history with football helped ease Patchan's mind when it came to his future in the game.

His father, David Patchan III, won two national championships with the Hurricanes, and his older brother, Matt, is on the Tampa Bay Bucs practice squad after playing on the offensive line for the University of Florida and Boston College.

He even has an uncle who played for Miami.

"It's in the bloodline," Scott Patchan said.

Patchan, who stands 6-foot-6 and has increased his weight to 240 pounds, is confident about getting his speed back on the field once he returns, because he opted for a patellar graft along with the surgery. That is supposed to make the recovery process faster.

"It feels almost like I've taken a long nap, and I've been waiting for awhile," said Patchan about the injury.

Patchan added it doesn't feel like he's injured at all at the moment.

"I've been fortunate to be around a lot of good football players, not only playing against them but coaching some of them," IMG Academy football head coach Chris Weinke said during last week's commitment ceremony at the school's fieldhouse. "This is the premier high school pass rusher I've ever seen in my life. The best of the best.

"His energy, his enthusiasm, his attention to detail and what he did on the field and what he does in the classroom is exactly what he's doing in his rehab right now," Weinke said. "He will be very successful at the University of Miami."

Now Patchan is moving forward to meeting his main goal: getting ready in time for spring ball at Miami.

He's one of four players off this year's IMG team, which went 9-1 en route to attaining the No. 1 ranking in the CBS MaxPreps Computer Rankings for Florida, to choose the early-enrollment option.

Senior captain Nick Thomas (Wisconsin), Hjalte Froholdt (Arkansas) and Mirko Jurkovic (Nebraska) each has opted to enroll early.

"It just gives you a head start on your freshman season," said Thomas, a linebacker who had 80 tackles, 13 tackles for a loss and four sacks this season. "Before you're a freshman, you already know the system."

This story was originally published November 19, 2014 at 12:00 AM with the headline "IMG Academy | Scott Patchan's senior season wiped out, but he's still early enrolling at the University of Miami ."