Jonathan Jarrett, Forward, Concorde Fire
Class: 2014
Choice: Santa Clara

On the eve of the USSF’s Development Academy playoffs, many elite club players are focused on impressing college coaches on a national stage.

That’s not the case for Jonathan Jarrett though. The forward from Parkview High School in Lilburn, Georgia has already impressed the right people.

Jarrett made his verbal commitment last week to Santa Clara, and became one of the first 2014 graduates to find a home.

“Santa Clara is the perfect mix of academics, athletics, and location; you couldn’t ask for a better combination of the three,” Jarrett told TopDrawerSoccer.com. “The program at Santa Clara has a history of attending the NCAA tournament, while providing an outstanding education.”

Jarrett is a top-notch forward and a standout in the classroom. The 16-year-old carries a 3.9 GPA on top of other academic honors.

“On my visit to Santa Clara, I really felt comfortable with the coaching staff and the entire Broncos community,” he added. “I felt right at home.”

The Region III ODP standout from Georgia will be a junior in the fall, so his time in the recruiting spotlight was limited but he did have interest from a number of top programs across the map.

“The recruiting process was very short,” he revealed. “I visited six colleges: Columbia, St. John’s, North Carolina, Stanford, and Santa Clara. These are all great academics/athletics colleges and it was difficult making a decision.”

The Concorde Fire U16 forward added that he is relieved the stress of the recruiting process is over and looking to concentrating on “fine-tuning his soccer skills and keepings his grades high.”

The move from Georgia to Northern California might be somewhat of a shock for the youngster, but he says he will still have supporters in the crowd from time to time.

“It will be different being far away from my family,” Jarrett said. “I will certainly miss having them at every game. Though, my dad travels to the Bay Area for business so I am sure my parents will still be present for a few games.”

Micheal Koegel, Midfielder, Empire United SA
Class: 2013
School: Syracuse

A strong, aggressive midfielder with good vision, the start of Koegel’s college career is also set to correspond with the program’s shift to the ACC.

But that’s not the only reason for Koegel’s decision to commit to Syracuse – it was much more than that.

“I chose Syracuse because I feel like the soccer team is a good fit for me,” he wrote TopDrawerSoccer.com in an email. “I went to their soccer camp last summer and loved it. I feel very comfortable there and it is also close to home. I also know that at Syracuse I will get all the academic support I will need. I think that at Syracuse I will work very hard to succeed both athletically and academically.”

However, getting a chance to play in one of college soccer’s deepest conferences is also an enticing lure and one that he’s looking forward to jumping into.

“I was excited to hear about the move to the ACC because the league is very strong from to top to bottom,” Koegel explained.

Benjamin Joseph, Midfielder, Lonestar SC
Class: 2013
School: SMU

In making his decision to commit to SMU, Ben Joseph won’t head too far from home.

That, of course, was one of many reasons he made the choice to verbally commit to become a Mustang.

“I chose SMU because of its close proximity to home and also for the incredible campus, facilities, and coaches,” Joseph wrote TopDrawerSoccer.com in an email. “SMU soccer has had a great reputation in Texas for many years so I am happy to be attending such a strong program.”

A central midfielder for his Lonestar club, the coaching staff at SMU assured Joseph that he’d get the chance to continue his role at the collegiate level.

The books also played a factor in his choice.

“SMU is also a great fit for me academically,” he said. “Scholastic success is very important to me and it seems to be a priority for the SMU coaches as well.”