Four-star prospect Joe Philon transfers to Montverde Academy

While Class of 2026 prospect Joe Philon remains in Florida, he will be playing his senior year for another school. As 247 Sports’ National Basketball Analyst Travis Branham tweeted, the 6-foot-8 forward will transfer to the national powerhouse Montverde Academy.

Before high school basketball resumes, Philon’s talent is on full display on the Under Armour Circuit. He received First Team All-Circuit honors for averaging 23 points and 5.7 rebounds per game in the UAA Session 1 17U Tournament.

He also led the Blake Yellow Jackets to a 24-5 record after starting the 2024-25 season with nine consecutive victories.

Joe ‘JoJo’ Philon, the No. 50 overall recruit in the 2026 class, is transferring to Montverde (Fla.) Academy for his senior season, a source tells @247Sports.

Has been one of the top players on the Under Armour Circuit this spring with Skills Center Elite.… pic.twitter.com/bUKlTyu0j0

— Travis Branham (@TravisBranham_) May 21, 2025

However, their campaign ended with a one-point loss to the Gibbs Gladiators in the Florida Class 4A regional finals. Joe Philon finished the season averaging 17.4 points, 7.9 rebounds, and three steals per game. He improved his scoring averages from 14.9 per game during his sophomore year and 11 during his first year.

Likewise, Philon helped the Yellow Jackets to a Class 5A runner-up finish during his sophomore year. Blake wouldn’t reach that point without winning the 2023 District 9 Championship. That collective success earned Philon 1^st Team All-County and 1^st Team All-Conference honors.

His 2024-25 averages made him the 31^st-best prospect from the Class of 2026 based on the On3 Industry Rating. Meanwhile, he’s the fifth-best power forward among high school seniors and the sixth-best prospect in Florida.

Joe Philon will transfer to a team that finished tenth in the 2024-25 On3 Composite National Team Rankings. From being an eighth grader who started in the varsity team, Philon will be one of the Eagles’ leaders alongside Kayden Allen, King Gibson, Gabe Weis, Dhani Mille, and Javion Tyndale.

Transferring to Montverde might also help Philon’s NBA dreams because the school produced the likes of Ben Simmons, RJ Barrett, D’Angelo Russell, Andrew Nembhard, and Cooper Flagg, among others.

As for his college basketball prospects, Joe Philon can stay in his home state if he chooses between the University of South Florida and Florida State. However, he also received offers from New Orleans, Minnesota, Texas A&M, and St. Bonaventure.