Sounders FC Academy product Jordan Morris has decided to forego his senior season at Stanford and turn pro, according to a report published Monday morning on Goal.com.
Morris, a 21-year-old native of Mercer Island, led the Cardinal to the NCAA title last month and was one of three finalists for the MAC Hermann Trophy honoring the best player in college soccer. He has also earned seven caps with the U.S. national team since head coach Jurgen Klinsmann first brought him into camp in 2014, and has figured prominently during the U.S. Under-23 team’s bid to qualify for the Olympics this summer in Rio de Janeiro.
The Sounders offered Morris the most lucrative Homegrown Player contract in league history last spring, but Morris tabled the offer and opted to see out his junior season at Stanford. Sounders GM and President of Soccer Garth Lagerwey has said on numerous occasions in recent months that the Sounders are hopeful Morris will sign with the club, making him arguably the highest-profile Homegrown signing in MLS history.
Klinsmann has weighed in on Morris’ decision as well, saying that he would like to see Morris skip his senior year at Stanford and begin his professional career.
“Now comes a big moment for Jordan Morris. He has to decide what is his next step. His next step obviously has to be becoming a professional," Klinsmann said last month.
“From our standpoint, it's very, very important that he chooses an environment where he gets to play. He needs to play in order to be in a good position to be a continuous part of the national team program, and also the Olympic team that will hopefully qualify for the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro at the end of March.”
Morris is a member of the Sounders FC Academy’s Class of 2013. He was named an All-American each of the past two years and was named the Pac-12 Player of the Year after his junior season, when he scored a career-high 13 goals despite missing time with the USMNT.
Morris made his first World Cup qualifying appearance in November as a substitute in the USMNT's 6-1 win over St. Vincent & the Grenadines. He’s also expected to be one of the main points of focus for the U.S. Under-23’s, who face a two-leg series against Colombia in March with a berth in the Olympics on the line.
