OTR News: Top 50 National Recruit Cole Cloer reveals Top 5 Schools – September 24, 2025

Top 15 recruit Cole Cloer reveals Top 5 Schools

By: Ross Van De Griek

Earlier this week, 6-foot-8 senior power forward Cole Cloer, out of IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, announced he is down to five schools in the chase for his recruitment.

Cloer is rated as the No. 32 overall player in the country for the Class of 2026, as well as the No. 7-ranked player in the state of Florida in the senior class, according to 247Sports.

Cloer will choose between Alabama, Florida, North Carolina, NC State, and UConn. He will no longer consider Indiana, Syracuse, and Virginia.

Cloer has completed four official visits, visiting with Alabama, Florida, NC State, and UConn, as well as scheduling a visit to Chapel Hill next month.

During the Grassroots season, Cloer played for Team CP3, which is a North Carolina-based organization, where he averaged 15.5 points and 4.2 rebounds per game playing in four games at the Nike EYBL Peach Jam back in July.

Cloer is a versatile athlete who can get to his spots within a couple of dribbles as well as build a consistent perimeter jump shot. Standing at 6-foot-8, Cloer can play multiple positions, whether it’s out on the wing or in the paint, as his handle continues to gain consistency as well. On the defensive end, his versatility speaks high volumes, where he is a high-level rebounder and runs the floor exceptionally well for his size.

He is a native of Greensboro, North Carolina where he spent his first three seasons of high school basketball playing at Caldwell Academy where he averaged 18.9 points, 7.2 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 1.0 steals, and 1.2 blocks per game last season for the Eagles where they finished the 2024-2025 season with a 26-9 record and reached the North Carolina Independent School Athletic Association (NCISAA) Class 2A Championship Game.

Cloer will now join an IMG Academy squad that is coming off a 20-8 record in 2024-2025, where they reached the Chipotle Nationals Play-in Tournament, where their season came to an end against the 9-seed Wasatch Academy Tigers back on April 2. The Ascenders also picked up notable wins against DME Academy, Oak Hill Academy, and Montverde Academy last season.