If you follow high school basketball in Lake County, chances are you’ve already heard the name Herly Brutus. If you haven’t, you definitely will in the near future. Herly is a class of 2026 small forward who has attended Umatilla High School the last two years. He stands 6’6” with a diverse arsenal of talents. Currently, Herly is playing on the summer AAU circuit with the Florida Rebels AAU team. He is currently ranked the #65 player in the 2026 class by Big Shots and a top 60 player according to ESPN. No matter which recruiting service you look at, Herly is a consensus top 100 recruit in the 2026 class. He currently holds an offer from Jacksonville University but has had contact with Liberty, Georgia, Rice, and Florida, among others.

(Umatilla High’s Herly Brutus lines up for a free-throw attempt during a game against Mount Dora Christian Academy. Photo Credit – Joe Ott Photography.)

Herly started playing basketball for the Tri City Ballers AAU team as a 3rd grader and admitted he “wasn’t very good.” No one else in his family was an athlete, so things weren’t as easy for him in the beginning. Not to be deterred, he continued to work on his game and has continued to improve. As a 5th grader, standing 5’10” tall, he was able to dunk a basketball for the first time. That’s quite an accomplishment for a 5th grader, for sure! Herly continued to impress throughout middle school as he played for Tavares Middle School and led them to a couple of phenomenal seasons. As an 8th grader, he could be described as a man amongst boys, standing 6’4” while possessing the skills of a point guard. Although he could have scored at will, Herly was a great distributor of the basketball. These guard skills are sure to benefit him in the future and are a rare talent for an 8th grader to possess.

(Photo Credit – Recruits Zone)

Most recently, Herly has been at the prestigious Pangos All-American camp in Las Vegas. So far, Herly has been impressive with his versatility on both the offensive and defensive ends. His length and versatility allow him to play up to three positions on the offensive and defensive ends of the floor. Herly believes he can play point guard if needed but can easily slide to the “three” position of small forward and excel as well. Over the summer, his main focus has been improvement on his ball-handling skills and perimeter shooting reps. At the next level, Herly understands that he will most likely play the two or three positions on the offensive end, so perimeter skills will be essential in his continued development.

Off the court, Herly enjoys playing video games such as NBA2K and Madden and listening to Christian music. As for other sports, Herly played football when he was younger but gave that up when he became a teenager to concentrate on basketball. Although Herly has had interest from several schools, he said, “North Carolina has always been my dream school and I would love to play there.” Herly’s dream is to make it to the NBA, but for now, he’s concentrating on improving each and every day as best he can. If the past is any indication, Herly has a very bright future on the hardwood.