Duke University men’s soccer head coach John Kerr announced the addition of six signees for the Blue Devils for the upcoming 2016 season. The class includes five players from five different states and another from Europe and features every position from center back to a holding midfielder to a striker.

A well-balanced and talented group, Top Drawer Soccer rates the incoming Blue Devils’ class seventh nationally. This is arguably the most talented group to join Duke men’s soccer in recent years, featuring players with significant youth national team experience as well as top U.S. Soccer Development Academy training.

“We are incredibly excited about this freshman class in 2016,” Kerr said. “We are adding quality depth in every position with this talented group of young men.  Our expectation is they will gel quickly alongside our experienced squad of veteran players.  We feel the combination of this incoming group and our current team members will create a very competitive environment which in turn will breed excellence. We anticipate being a very fun and talented team to watch next fall. I can’t be happier with the group we’ve brought in thanks in large part to the efforts of our outstanding recruiting coordinator and assistant coach Mike Miller.”

Joining the Blue Devils are Colby Agu (Cary, N.C.), Jack Doran (West Roxbury, Mass.), Max Moser (Bregenz, Austria), Matthew Olosunde (Trenton, N.J.), Chinenye Uche (Lawrenceville, Ga.), and Suniel Veerakone (Caledonia, Mich.). Agu, Olosunde and Veerakone all are listed among Top Drawer Soccer’s IMG Top 150 players.

Colby Agu | CASL Railhawks Academy

Cary, N.C. | 6-2 | 165 | Forward

Rankings

Top Drawer Soccer IMG Top 150: 110

Before Duke: Currently plays for the Capital Area Soccer League (CASL) Railhawks Academy … Team captain for the Railhawks this past season … Ranked among the top 15 players nationally in goals scored with 18 tallies in 37 games … Led the Railhawks to third place in the division and the No. 12 seed overall in the Academy Playoffs … Named to the Academy Eastern Conference Best XI … Selected to play with the Railhawks FC in two scrimmages against Duke in the spring of 2015 … Playing with the U18 CASL Railhawks squad and has three goals in nine games.

Personal: Son of Amobi and Dena Agu … Has one older brother, Elijah … Brother is a member of the Elon men’s soccer team … Born April 10, 1998.

Kerr on Agu:

“Colby Agu is a stylish player who can create goal scoring opportunities for himself and provide them for others.  He can play as a striker, attacking midfield and on the flank.  He is very creative and he is dangerous on set pieces.  We are very happy to have Colby here at Duke.”

Jack Doran | FC Boston Bolts Academy

West Roxbury, Mass. | 5-11 | 180 | Midfield

Before Duke: A current member of the FC Boston Bolts Academy program … Scored four goals in his 23 games with the FC Bolts in 2014-15 … Helped lead the team to the U-16 Development Academy playoffs in consecutive seasons … Has earned seven U.S. National Training Camp invitations … Tabbed as one of the top players in the 2013 Academy Showcase … Guided his squad to the New England Region Futsal titles in 2011 and 2012 … A two-time Region I first team choice … Participated in the Nike ID2 Camps in 2011 and 2012 … Played in the Manchester United Cup in Oregon in 2011 and was invited to the U-14 U.S. National Team training camp in 2010.

Personal: Son of Timothy and Paola Doran … Has two older sisters, Julia and Christina … Born November 2, 1997.

Kerr on Doran:

“Jack Doran is a creative midfielder who is very comfortable on the ball. He is a good connector in the middle of the field and covers a lot of ground.  He will give us depth in a number of spots in midfield. We’re excited to have him on our team.”

Max Moser | SC Austria Lustenau

Bregenz, Vorarlberg, Austria | 5-9 | 159 | Outside Midfield/Right Back

Before Duke: Played youth soccer with Academy Vorarlbert for four seasons … Most recently is a member of SC Austria Lustenau, a club in the second highest league in Austria … Has seen action on both the first and second teams … Is the youngest player to join the club and declined a professional contract to join Duke … Debuted on the first team in October 2015 … A starter for Academy Vorarlberg over the course of his four seasons … Missed just 175 minutes overall in four seasons … This season he has started two games for the SC Austria Lustenau first team and played in three games overall … Went the full 90 in nine games for the second team and scored two goals as right back … An excellent student and won an accolade for one of the best pre-scientific papers in Austria.

Personal: Son of Armin and Rebekka Moser … Has one sister, Emilie … Born February 21, 1997 in Bregenz, Austria.

Kerr on Moser:

“Max comes to Duke with a wealth of experience playing at the highest level in Austria.  He is a versatile player who can get up and down the flanks working on both sides of the ball.  He can beat players on the dribble and serves a great ball into the box.  We expect big things from Max and look forward to having him here at Duke.”

Matthew Olosunde | New York Red Bulls Academy

Trenton, N.J. | 6-1 | 160 | Defender

Rankings

Top Drawer Soccer IMG Top 150: 23

College Soccer News: 3

Before Duke: A part of the New York Red Bulls Academy squad of the U.S. Development Academy … Recently was called into training camp with the U.S. U-20 National Team … Left Red Bulls Academy program when invited to take part in the U.S. U-17 Residency Program in Bradenton, Florida … During the most recent U-17 youth national team cycle, he earned 30 appearances … Started eight of 10 games in 2015 … Was a member of the U-17 national team for the 2015 FIFA World Cup … Started and played 67 minutes in the game versus Nigeria … Earned two starts and three caps during the U-17 MNT’s 2013 campaign … He was a regular starting back for the U-17s in 2014, starting in 16 of the 19 matches he played in while logging 1,175 minutes … His 16 starts ranked fifth on the team and added two assists that year. … In 2012 and 2013, Olosunde played for the U-15 Boys’ National Team.

Kerr on Olosunde:

“Matthew is a fantastic player who is comfortable playing in the back or in midfield.  He has wicked pace and has incredible defensive recovery speed.  He has great one vs one instincts on both sides of the ball and will help us right away in a number of positions.”

Chinenye Uche | Georgia United Academy

Lawrenceville, Ga. | 6-1 | 175 | Center Back

Before Duke: Played for Georgia United of the U.S. Development Academy … Played for the U16s during the 2014-15 season, starting 15 of 18 games at center back … Team finished second in the Eastern Conference with a 21-8-7 overall record … Helped Georgia United to fourth-place finish at the Academy Playoffs in 2015 … Anchored a defense that allowed the third-fewest goals in the conference … Invited to the U-17 U.S. Men’s National Team training camp in November 2015 … Spent time training in Argentina and Chile at clubs River Plate and O’Higgins.

Personal: Son of Nelson Uche and Dr. Scholar Ibezim Uche … Has three sisters, O’dez Oraedu, Ijeoma Uche and Nunso Uche … Older sister Odez played basketball at Emory University … Born March 3, 1998 in Queens, N.Y.

Kerr on Uche:

“CC is a supreme athlete who will be a stalwart in our defense for years to come.  He has the aggression, speed and strength to handle any player in the ACC.  He is hungry to learn and improve and is an exciting prospect for us at the heart of the defense.”

Suniel Veerakone | Columbus Crew Soccer Academy

Caledonia, Mich. | 5-8 | 135 | Midfield

Rankings

Top Drawer Soccer IMG Top 150: 41

College Soccer News: 96

Before Duke: Plays currently for the Columbus Crew Soccer Academy Wolves … Helped lead team to the Mid-American Division title with a 19-2-6 record in 2014-15 and also in 2013-14 with a 15-5-7 record ... Started all 30 games in 2014-15 in the center midfield for the Wolves and registered four goals … Voted to the Top Drawer Soccer Academy Showcase Best XI in 2015 … Also named to the 2015 Top Drawer Soccer Academy Playoffs Best XI … Tabbed one the of top 11 players in the U.S. Soccer Development Academy Central Conference … Played for the Michigan Wolves in 2013 … Guided the squad to the state cup and regional titles in 2013 … Named the Golden Ball winner at the US Youth Soccer National Championships after helping the Wolves to the finals in 2013 … Participated in the Generation Adidas Cup in Washington D.C., in 2013 and 2015.

Personal: Son of Gnani and Maria Veerakone … Has one sister, Rubina … Sister is a member of the Michigan women’s soccer team … Born Aug. 25, 1998.

Kerr on Veerakone:

“Suniel Veerakone is a number 10!!  He likes to have the ball in traffic and set up his teammates for scoring opportunities.  He has great ball control and has the ability to thread a pass in between defenders in the attacking third.  Suniel is an unpredictable player and will create havoc amongst opposing defenses.”