Growing up in Puerto Rico, Elias Lugo-Fagundo knew reaching higher levels of football would be an uphill climb.
But Lugo-Fagundo pursued his dream, moving to Bradenton to join powerhouse high school program IMG Academy and ultimately landing a spot with the Miami Hurricanes — first as a preferred walk-on and later as a scholarship wide receiver.
“I realized that if I wanted to play college football, I had to leave and go to the States to play,” said Lugo-Fagundo, who was on the Hurricanes from 2017-20. “That’s when I found out about IMG, I ended up going to camp there, (and) I get recruited.