The identity of the Tennessee Titans is shifting. Get to know GM Mike Borgonzi and QB Cam Ward, and you’ll understand where this team is headed.

After the Titans shocked the NFL world by taking Ohio State WR Carnell Tate with the fourth overall pick, I caught up with somebody who witnessed Tate’s rise from being a promising teenage athlete to becoming an NFL-destined young man. Kyle Brey is the current Director of Football for IMG Academy, an elite boarding high school in Florida that serves as a launch pad for future college athletes to train with the best and play against the best.

Today he is the director of the program, but when Tate was in school, he was the head coach of the varsity football team. Here’s what he remembers about the years that made Tate the fourth overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.

IMG Academy director recounts what made Carnell Tate great

Carnell Tate is a born and raised Chicago boy. But when Covid canceled high school athletics in the city, he was one of a handful of high-caliber athletes who packed their bags for IMG Academy in Florida.

“We have a very unique set up being a boarding school,” Brey began. “A lot of (Covid) policies and procedures were completely different that we all hope we don’t have to repeat ever again. But at the same time, you know, we had a lot of athletes that were very interested in making sure they could finish their high school career during that. J.J. McCarthy coming down here attracted a lot of athletes, attracted a lot of receivers. Carnell was one that, immediately after having conversations with him and bringing him to campus and everyone getting to know him, he’s someone that we knew there would be a fit.”

A common theme about Tate from this discussion is one that Brey established early: “I’d say one of the defining things about him is just his emotional maturity. You saw it on draft night. Ohio State staff would talk about it quite a bit.”

This is a big part of what set Tate apart from the crowd. IMG Academy is essentially a magnet school for the best athletes in the country, so nobody is surprised when a young man or woman walks through those doors with professional athletic potential written all over them. That physical standard “has become the norm, especially with our national football program,” Brey explained. “The difference when you start to get to that level of genetic potential is the social and emotional maturity, and awareness. What you are between the ears starts to be the difference between being the 99% and the 1%.”

Tate didn’t just stand out to his coaches and administrators; he stood out to his teammates as a leader too.

“Carnell was somebody that people attracted to because they could see he was very driven. He had very clear goals on what he wanted. And he appreciated being around people that were like-minded. He enjoyed being around other athletes that are pursuing greatness at a young age. I think Ohio State was a great choice for him. I actually worked at Ohio State under Urban Meyer as an offensive quality control coach. So I understand the tradition and the culture. And I think that probably 10-x’d his development because he was put into a great situation.”

Tate isn’t the only only one in the Titans locker room today with IMG roots: “J.C. Latham’s already on the team. So you have a teammate, which is exciting for him to be able to walk into that. And a lot of people don’t know this, but Cam Ward is actually a former camper of IMG Academy. He came to us five times to camp. So you’re starting to get people that are all like-minded from a young age that sought out opportunities to get better, whether it’s through camp or through our full-time academy.”

It’s funny Brey mentioned this anecdote about Ward’s experience with IMG camps. Because it was at this point in the interview when I began to hear a wide receiver version of Ward being described to me.

“He’s somebody that no matter how good or bad the day was, was the same person, which is not not a normal thing for kids his age. Being at a boarding school away from home during a pandemic, to have emotional maturity in good moments and bad moments while you’re here, which we put you on a stage and we turn the lights up as bright as we can. That is how you get better.”

A hard worker who is driven and goal-oriented to a fault… who is as steady as they come no matter how good or bad a day is… which recent Titans first round pick does that sound like to you? The same things this front office found attractive about Ward, they liked in Tate. They have a type.

Brey finished things off with a little excitement for the season. “For us, it’s been really rewarding to watch him during his time at Ohio State. And I can tell you as a Tennessee Titans fan, get ready. You got a former IMG camper throwing it to a former IMG football player. So the connection is real.”