Jomar Bernard, A 6-foot-8 small forward out of The Villages Charter High School in Middleton, Florida, becomes the second player to commit from the reigning Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) Class 3A runner-up in as many days. Bernard announced on his social media accounts that he is committing to Florida Atlantic University. The news comes just one day after his teammate, 6-foot-2 point guard Aaron Britt Jr., committed to Texas Tech.

Bernard chose the Owls after hearing from several schools such as Florida State, Georgia, Jacksonville, South Florida, and Tennessee Tech, among several others. He is the No. 100 overall-ranked recruit, the No. 27 small forward, and the No. 21 overall-ranked player in the state of Florida in the class of 2027, according to 247Sports.

During the summer, Bernard represented the Puerto Rican U18 National Team, where he averaged 8.7 points and 3.8 rebounds per game where he came off the bench.

Bernard becomes the second player in the last two years to come from Puerto Rico and commit to Florida Atlantic University, where he will be following in the footsteps of Felipe Quinones, who played his high school basketball days at IMG Academy before finishing out his senior season at Christopher Columbus High School in Miami, Florida.

During his junior season at The Villages Charter High School, Bernard averaged 9.7 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 1.2 assists per game while shooting 43% from inside the three-point line and 31% from behind the arc, according to MaxPreps. He was a part of the Buffalo squad that reached the Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) Class 3A Championship Game before coming up short of the program’s first state title in school history. 

During the Grassroots season, Bernard played under his high school assistant coach Carlos Villalobos at Tre Mann Elite, where he played a key role as they won the PRO16 League 17U Division title in Bryan, Texas, back in July.

“Really proud of Jomar (Bernard); he’s worked so hard and has grown so much as a player as well as a man. Really and truly believe he has found himself the right fit for him at Florida Atlantic,” The Villages Charter Head Coach Colt McDowell said of Bernard.

Scouting Report on Jomar Bernard: Bernard is a modern small forward, possessing the physical tools and skills where he can impact the game in multiple ways. He does a great job of letting the game come to him, often leveraging his length and athleticism. On the offensive end, he shows flashes of being a dynamic slasher, capable of getting to the rim with his long strides and finishing above multiple defenders. His decision-making with the basketball in his hands is vastly improving, especially in transition-scoring opportunities. On the defensive end, his wingspan allows him to be disruptive in the passing lanes and contest shots effectively. He also has the lateral quickness to guard multiple positions, which is truly valuable in today’s game. He’s also shown a consistent motor, battling for loose balls and chasing down rebounds on the glass. He makes winning plays on both ends of the floor, where his impact is not just his scoring ability.

Ross Van De Griek has been a Southeast region scout for On The Radar Hoops since 2024. He has been involved in basketball scouting with various stops at Prep Hoops and Prep Girls Hoops since 2022. You can reach him via email at rossvdg14@gmail.com or follow him on X (@RossVDG14) and Instagram (ross_vdg14)