One of the top wrestlers in the Lone Star State is leaving.
Jonathan “Steel” Meyers posted on social media that he is leaving Allen and will head to IMG Academy for his senior year.
He is coming off a season when he went 47-2 and won the Class 6A 165-pound championship for the Eagles.
Steel is committed to wrestle for University of North Carolina in college.
His last match for the Eagles was a 10-1 major decision against Keith Remington from League City Clear Creek.
“Leaving Allen was very difficult,” Meyers said. “I had a great experience during my time there, and I’m extremely thankful for everyone who played a role in my development. Being at Allen was truly special, and I don’t think I would have the opportunities I have now without that experience.”
Meyers won the Region 2-6A championship and District 6-6A championship — both by tech falls.
In fact, he won the title in his last seven events, including the Reno Tournament of Champions, Texas Outlaw, Cushing Tournament in Oklahoma, the Bobby Lyons Classic in Sand Springs, Oklahoma, and the three UIL tournaments that concluded in February in Cypress.
“Winning a state title for myself and as a team is something I’ll never forget,” Meyer said. “Having a team of guys to chase the same goals with each and every day made the win so much better when we did it as a team and got to succeed alongside each other.”
The only two losses in the high school season came in the Iron Man in early December in Ohio.
He lost to Army pledge Titus Norman from the Baylor School and Barry Norman Jr. from Blair Academy, a Princeton pledge.
Competing for Best Trained Wrestling in March, Meyers was a semifinalist at the 16U & Junior Folkstyle National Championships in Des Moines, Iowa.
The only loss for Meyers was a 4-1 decision against Mac Crosson from Sebolt Wrestling Academy in a battle of Division I-level wrestlers. Crosson is a Nebraska pledge.
Before his time at Allen, he wrestled at Trinity Christian Academy in Addison. During the 2023-24 season, he won a Texas Prep State Championship and took sixth place at the National Prep Tournament.
Now, he will head to Bradenton, Florida, to wrestle for IMG and look for a new college landing spot.
In September, the school announced it would add wrestling in the 2026-27 school year.
Meyers’ head coach will be Kevin Jack and Enock Francois, who was an assistant coach at UNC, was appointed the wrestling director of IMG Academy.
Francois was an NCAA National Champion, 4-time All-American, and 3-time ACC Champion. His coaching résumé includes leadership roles at Stanford University, the Army at West Point and Cornell University.
Jack wrestled at North Carolina State and was a four-year starter, ranking second in career wins. He was a 3-time All-American for the Wolfpack. Then, he joined the coaching staff as an assistant and recruiting coordinator.
Assistant coaches for Jack will be Cornell assistant coach Scottie Boykin and Scott Joll, a Davidson assistant coach.
“Honestly, IMG Academy is an amazing opportunity,” Meyers said. “It was one I couldn’t pass up because of the incredible resources they have to offer. At IMG, I’m looking forward to continuing to develop, taking full advantage of everything they offer and having a strong final season to close out my high school career.”
