BOWIE, MD — Nothing about Jayden Wade's second season as IMG Academy's starting quarterback came as easily as the first.
The Ascenders lost key pieces of their roster, watched a promising season end prematurely for one of their top offensive weapons and spent much of the year managing injuries throughout the lineup.
Five-star defensive lineman Zyron Forstall unenrolled and transferred to CE King in Texas. Eric McFarland III saw his season cut short with a knee injury. Others were forced to step into bigger roles as IMG navigated a season filled with personnel changes and setbacks.
The expectations, however, never changed.
Wade and the Ascenders found a way to finish the job Saturday against St. Frances Academy in Baltimore, completing another undefeated
season and keeping the five-star quarterback's three-year promise alive.
"We were down to 30 players. That's all we had left," IMG coach Greg Studrawa said. "We lost six of our best players in the year to injury."
The attrition forced IMG to lean more heavily on its remaining playmakers, particularly Wade. Multiple starters missed multiple games, contributing to difficult stretches against The St. James Performance Academy (VA) and NFL Academy, both won with last-second field goals from Cal commit Zach Brien.
Wade's responsibilities expanded throughout the season. The Georgia commit was asked to make more plays with his legs, extend possessions and shoulder a greater portion of the offensive workload. For Studrawa, the difference between Wade's first and second seasons as IMG's starting quarterback was evident.
"Last year, he just ran plays," Studrawa said. "He managed everything we did. He got us in run checks. He got us in protection. He ran the football. Everything that he wanted to do on his road to being a complete quarterback."
Studrawa described Wade as a football junkie, someone whose dedication to the game has helped him develop into one of the country's premier quarterback prospects.
"There's guys I've been around in all my time that are football junkies," Studrawa said. "Those guys end up being the best player at their position, because that's all they think about day and night. That's how he is."
Wade said learning to remain composed through difficult situations was one of his biggest developments this season.
"I feel like what I unlocked is being calm," Wade said. "Because that's something a lot of QBs are not very, very good at, and it's not easy. Something that's actually hard."
As the stakes got higher, Osani Gayles was there to answer the call
The loss of McFarland created another challenge for the Ascenders, but it also opened the door for Alabama wide receiver commit Osani Gayles to play a bigger role in the offense.
Gayles had often played alongside McFarland, whose talent could overshadow the production of others in the receiving corps. With McFarland unavailable, Gayles became a more prominent option for Wade.
Studrawa said the opportunity allowed Gayles to show what he could do.
"You can't say enough about him because at times he was overshadowed by Eric, because of how talented Eric was," Studrawa said. "People didn't think about it; look at Osani. And now when he got the shot, the spotlight shined on him. You see how he performs."
Gayles embraced the increased responsibility.
"When Eric went down and all these injuries, my number was called a little bit more than usual," Gayles said. "I took all the challenge head-on. Just execute what I knew I could do."
Gayles (7 rec, 110 yards, TD) eclipsed 1,000 receiving yards against St. Frances and finished the season with five consecutive games of at least 100 receiving yards. Whether defenses left him in single coverage or devoted additional attention to him, he continued finding ways to make plays.
"It's fantastic when you can lean on a guy like that, go to him, and he continually makes plays," Studrawa said.
Wade was equally appreciative of what Gayles brought to the offense, especially when the two were called on to make things happen.
"He's one of the best receivers I have to play with," Wade said. "He does everything for me. I just throw the ball. I put it in the air, you make it, you make that fantastic catch. He stepped up to the plate. He ain't never folded. So I go to that boy."
A young offensive line finds its footing — with time
IMG's challenges weren't limited to injuries at the skill positions.
The offensive line entered the season with considerable inexperience, particularly on the interior. Four-star offensive tackles Nation Farmer and Major Green provided highly recruited talent on the edges, but the group as a whole needed time to develop.
There wasn't a senior in the unit.
Studrawa, who worked extensively with the offensive line throughout the season, said finding the right combinations and getting the group to play together was difficult.
"I'm proud of them. We're not there. We're not the finished product, but there's not a senior in the group," Studrawa said.
The coaching staff had to mix and match personnel, with younger players taking on important responsibilities. A sophomore even stepped into the starting center position.
"All the changes and things we made, trying to mix and match, to get the guys at the right spot, while continuing to make them gel and play together, was really, really hard," Studrawa said.
The group eventually found its footing, providing enough protection for Wade and creating opportunities for Ohio State running back commit Elijah Newman-Hall.
Newman-Hall rushed for 109 yards against St. Frances, another example of the production IMG generated despite its challenges up front.
"The last three or four games were all toughest. And that's when they played their best," Studrawa said.
Wade also made sure to recognize the group that helped make his job easier.
"They made the holes for me. They made a good pocket," Wade said. "If it wasn't for them, I wouldn't be able to make a play. I give all my praise to them, and they work so hard, so hard from the beginning of the season to the end of the season. They never gave up."
A different kind of victory against St. Frances
Saturday's matchup also gave Wade a chance to measure how far he has come.
The last time he faced St. Frances Academy, as a freshman, Wade completed just 1 of 5 passes for 13 yards and threw two interceptions.
He returned to Baltimore two years later as one of the country's premier quarterback prospects, having helped IMG complete consecutive undefeated seasons.
This time, Wade completed 11 of 15 passes for 148 yards and a touchdown, while adding 34 yards on the ground.
The difference wasn't lost on him.
"I feel like it was a respect thing for me when I played them," Wade said. "They disrespected me, and I wasn't going for that, and I made sure that I was going to win this game."
The victory extended IMG's winning streak to 19 games, another indication of the consistency the program has maintained.
For Studrawa, sustaining that standard with such a young and depleted roster made the accomplishment especially meaningful.
"These kids have a lot of pressure on them. They have to live up to that standard," Studrawa said. "The fact that they continue to do it throughout this year with a young team... what they did is living up to the standard and performing and what everybody expects out of IMG is nothing short of tremendous with those kids."
For Wade, the accomplishment carries a more personal meaning. Every morning, he still has a reminder of what he's chasing staring back at him from the mirror.
Go undefeated all three years at IMG Academy. He already has two seasons checked off.
One more remains.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Georgia QB commit Jayden Wade keeps three-year promise alive at IMG Academy
