Prep football | IMG will send 6 to UA All-American game

For the third straight year, IMG Academy's football program will be represented at the annual Under Armour All-American game, a showcase event of the top recruits in the country at St. Petersburg's Tropicana Field in early January.

Except this season, the Ascenders are sending their most ever.

Six members of this year's team were announced as earning their honorary game jerseys in a presentation next Thursday, according to a news release.

Quarterback Shea Patterson, the consensus No. 1-rated signal caller for the Class of 2016, joins offensive lineman Tyler Gerald (ESPN's No. 5 offensive guard), Ricky Aguayo (ESPN's No. 5 kicker), Shavar Manuel (ESPN's No. 3 defensive end), Rahshaun Smith (ESPN's No. 2 outside linebacker) and Saivion Smith (ESPN's No. 6 cornerback).

The game is slated for Jan. 2 for broadcast on ESPN at 12 p.m.

Previous Ascenders to head to the Under Armour All-American Game are running back Bo Scarbrough, who is missing the first four games of this year with Alabama due to an NCAA suspension, and last year's starting quarterback Deondre Francois (now at Florida State) and offensive lineman Tyree St. Louis (now at Miami).

Palmetto quarterback Jack Allison was invited to play in the game earlier this year.

This story was originally published September 26, 2015 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Prep football | IMG will send 6 to UA All-American game."