2028 EDGE Lincoln Halliday transferring to IMG Academy

One of the top defensive edge rushers out of the state of Virginia is leaving the Old Dominion for the Sunshine State.

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According to a announcement via social media, Class of 2028 EDGE Lincoln Halliday announced that he’s leaving defending Virginia Class 6 state champion Chesapeake (Va.)·Oscar Smith for nationally ranked Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy.

Halliday currently has collegiate offers from schools like Michigan, South Carolina, Syracuse, Rutgers and Virginia Tech, respectively.

New Chapter!!! Time to work. @CoachKiddIMG @dzoloty @ChadSimmons_ @CraigHaubert @DemetricDWarren @TheUCReport @BrianDohn247 @SWiltfong_ @adamgorney @TomLoy247 @TomLuginbill @Andrew_Ivins pic.twitter.com/vwWZIlOqHJ

— Lincoln Halliday (@27LincolnH) June 16, 2026

IMG Academy recently received multiple big name transfers from the Northeast, with former Camden (NJ) teammates 2028 four-star offensive lineman Eytan D’Oleo, 2028 three-star EDGE Andre Robinson heading their way.

Now with Halliday joining the Ascenders, it continues the stockpiling of top players from other states around the nation.

Among the teams the vaunted Ascenders will face this upcoming fall season are against national powerhouses like St. Louis (HI), The St. James Academy (Va.), Cornerstone Christian (TX), New Palestine (IN), NFL Academy (UK), Hun School (N.J.) and rival St. Frances Academy (Md.) on Nov. 13.

Coming off an undefeated 9-0 campaign, the Ascenders return one of the most talented high school football rosters in the country, featuring the likes of 2027 five-star EDGE Zyron Forstall (Texas A&M commit), 2027 four-star wide receiver Eric McFarland, 2027 four-star linebacker Amarri Irvin (Notre Dame commit) and 2028 four-star quarterback Jayden Wade (Georgia commit).

The Ascenders ended this past season with a 10-0 record and finishing at No. 1 in the final 2025 Florida High School Football Massey Rankings and No. 3 nationally, according to the Rivals National 2025 High School Football Composite Rankings.

More about IMG Academy

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 is the only education brand directly responsible for filling one-quarter of all college roster spots on an annual basis. In 2021 alone, IMG Academy helped place 30,000 kids into college.