GREENSBORO, N.C. – UNC Greensboro (UNCG) head men's soccer Chris Rich is pumped about his recruiting class. He has a great reason because it's ranked 15th nationally in the latest Top Drawer Soccer rankings. 
 
It's also the highest-ranked class among Southern Conference (SoCon) programs. After winning the SoCon regular-season championship in 2019, the Spartans relentless recruiting has them reloaded for another run at a memorable season.

"We are incredibly excited and proud of our first recruiting class here in Greensboro," Rich said. "Our goal was to find versatile and competitive players that fit our game model and I believe we have done that. This class is very diverse as it's a great blend of experience and youth. We have North Carolina based players as well as guys from all over the US and the world. Not only is this group extremely talented, but these young men fit the student-athlete profile that we are looking for at UNCG as well. These 12 guys should compliment our 13 returners very well as we look to take giant steps forward as a program.

"Lastly, I want to thank Coach Wells, Coach Ibarra, and Coach White for all their help in putting together this fantastic group of young men."

 

	Hometown: Candler, North Carolina Position: Goalkeeper Height/Weight: 6-0/165 Transfer from UNC Asheville. Led the NCAA in saves before missing the final five matches of the season. Led the Big South with 82 saves and finished 15th in the country in 2019. 2019 Big South All-Freshman Team and Big South Honorable Mention. The Rich Report: "Jarrett is an in-state player that was the starting goalkeeper during his one season at UNCA. He is a high character person with a competitive mentality and an unmatched work ethic. He is also an elite shot-stopper. Jarrett will compete with returning goalkeeper Brendan Pulley, and fellow newcomer, Niclas Wild."
	Hometown: Duluth, Georgia  Position: Winger/Attacking Midfield Height/Weight: 5-7/140 Product of Atlanta United under Academy Director Tony Annan. Represented the U15 US National Team, making eight appearances. Represented the U17 US National Team.  The 54th ranked midfielder in the 2020 class (Top Drawer Soccer Rankings).  The Rich Report: "Daniel comes to us from one of the best youth MLS academies in Atlanta United, and has experience with the United States youth national teams. He is a true footballer that can play as a winger or attacking midfielder. We love his technique and ability to create and score chances."
	Hometown: Midlothian, Texas Position: Midfielder Height/Weight: 5-10/160 First Team All-State.  First Team All-Region. High School MVP Junior and Senior Year. Spent two seasons at Hill College in Hillsboro Texas. Hill College Player of the year 2019. All-conference first team 2019. 25 points at Hill (in one year): 9 goals, 7 assists. The Rich Report: "Maycol is first and foremost, an incredible human being. He comes to us after an impressive career at Hill College. He is another player that can play in most attacking positions. He has very good technique, high soccer IQ, and can score goals."
	Hometown: Charlotte, North Carolina  Position: CM/Attacking mid/Forward Height/Weight: 6-2/180 Played an integral role in helping South Meck High School win the 2015 State Championship after finishing the season undefeated.  Captain of the Charlotte Soccer Academy U18 team in his senior year. Transferring from Northeast Texas CC. 17 points at NETCC: 7 goals, 3 assists. The Rich Report: "Fernando is an in-state player, but transfers to us from Northeast Texas CC. He is extremely versatile as he can play in the midfield and anywhere in the front three. He is extremely competitive, has an incredible work rate, and has a winning mentality."
	Hometown: Raleigh, North Carolina Position: Defender Height/Weight: 6-2/170 Member of the NCFC Development Academy. Standout freshman year with Appalachian State. Made 18 appearances for the Mountaineers. The Rich Report: "Myson comes to us after spending one season with Coach Jason O'Keefe at App State. He is a versatile player that can play defensive midfielder or anywhere along the back four. We like his ability in possession as a defender, and his overall ability to defend."
	Hometown: Accra, Ghana Position: Central Defender Height/Weight: 6-4/180 Made Professional Debut for Orlando City B Vs FC Tuscon on March 30, 2019. Graduate of the Montverde Academy in Orlando, Florida. Graduate of the SIMA Gold program under Coach and Co-Founder, Mike Potempa. The Rich Report: "He is a highly regarded central defender from prestigious Montverde Academy coached by Mike Potempa. He has all the tools to be an elite defender here at UNCG. He has the ability to break lines from the center back position and is a major defensive presence."
	Hometown: Berlin, Germany Position: Goalkeeper Height/Weight: 6-3/187 Member of Hertha Berlin II Member of the U18 German National Team. The Rich Report: "Niclas is a talented goalkeeper with extremely high character. He comes to us with a great resume after spending time with Hertha Berlin in Germany. He fits the profile perfectly for how we want our goalkeepers to play here at UNCG. He is exceptional in the build and is also very good in all the other traditional goalkeeper responsibilities."
	Hometown: Highland Village, Texas Position: Midfielder Height/Weight: 5-7/140 Second leading scorer for Solar U17s Development Academy with 21 goals. 2019 Solar Striker National Finalist. The Rich Report: "Sam is a talented attacking player from Dallas, Texas. He is another footballer that can play any attacking position. He is extremely competitive, excellent in front of goal, and is a fun player to watch."
	Hometown: Clermont, France Position: Forward Height/Weight: 5-11/172 Played for Clermont Foot 63 II  Made 30 appearances and started 15 games. Scored nine goals. The Rich Report: "Theo is a forward that comes from a fantastic youth setup in France. He has the versatility to play anywhere in the front three but we expect him to play more at the center forward position. His movement off the ball is elite, especially in the penalty area. We expect Theo to score a lot of goals in Greensboro."
	Hometown: Gardabaer, Iceland Position: Winger/Attacking Midfield  Height/Weight: 6-1/179 In 2019 Mani was with the University of Akron. He appeared in 17 matches for the Zips, including 12 starts. Ranked third on the squad in goals (2), shots (33) and shots on goal (14), while rating fourth in points (5) and fifth in assists (1). Prior to coming to the United States, he gained valuable playing experience with FC Copenhagen, Stjarnan and HK Kópavogur. Has 21 youth national team appearances with Iceland. Helped his Stjarnan youth team to a national and cup championship. The Rich Report: "Mani is a talented player that fits our style of play perfectly. He has incredible technique, a very good understanding of the game, and can create chances and score goals. He joined us this spring and made an immediate impact. We expect big things from him in Greensboro."
	Hometown: Fairview, North Carolina Position: Central Midfield and Outside Back Height/Weight: 5-11/170 Transfer from UNC Asheville As a sophomore, he finished second on the team in goals with six. Started all 17 matches at midfield. Led the Bulldogs in points with 10 as a freshman. He led the Bulldogs in minutes on the season with 1,422. Vignali was one of only two Bulldogs to play in and start all 17 matches in 2018. 2018 North Carolina Gatorade Player of the Year. 2017 High School All American and High School Player of the Year for North Carolina. The Rich Report: "Izaiah is an in-state player that comes to us after two years at UNC Asheville. He is a versatile player that will contribute in both the midfield and at outside back. His quality on the ball combined with his elite physical qualities fits our game model perfectly, so we are excited for him to be a Spartan."
	Hometown: Charlotte, North Carolina Position: Winger Height/Weight: 5-9/165 Transfer from Indiana University. Three-star recruit and ranked No. 81 in Top Drawer Soccer's IMG Academy 150. Ranked the No. 5 player in the Mid-Atlantic region. Played over 125 matches in the U.S. Development Academy, scoring 25 goals. Captain of the DC United U-19 squad. Trained with first-teams of DC United, Reading, and Ajax  The Rich Report: "He is a talented winger that can play on either side. He has good technique, good soccer IQ, and elite physical qualities."

 

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