BUIES CREEK, N.C. – The Columbus Crew of Major League Soccer has signed Campbell University defender
Jake Morris through the 2023 season with options in 2024 and 2025. The Crew acquired Morris' MLS Homegrown Priority from Seattle Sounders FC in exchange for $50,000 in General Allocation Money (GAM) for 2022, with potential for additional allocation money should Morris meet certain performance-based incentives.
Morris represented Campbell University from 2020-2021, making 28 appearances while registering seven goals and 11 assists.
"We are very happy for Jake and his family!" said Campbell head coach
Dustin Fonder. "This was a big goal of Jake's when he came to Campbell so it great to see it come to fruition. He deserves a lot of credit for being coachable, having a great attitude, and always working hard. We wish him the best going forward with the Columbus Crew. Hopefully, this will open the door for more players to follow in the future."
He played in all 21 matches with 17 starts for the Big South regular season and tournament champion Camels in 2021. Morris finished sixth among league scoring leaders with 18 points on five goals and eight assists.
A second-team All-Big South winger, 13 of his 14 points came in eight regular season Big South matchers where the Camels posted a 7-0-1 record. In league games only, he finished second in points (13), first in game-winning goals (3), T4th in goals (4) and T2nd in assists (5).
Morris was named Big South offensive player of the week and to the College Soccer News National Team of the Week on Oct. 18. Morris tallied what proved to be the game-winner and added an assist in a 3-1 win over Longwood. Three days later, he scored the game's only goal in the 61st minute at Winthrop.
He helped Campbell finish the season ranked in the top four in the nation (out of 202 NCAA Division I schools) in seven offensive categories – second in total goals (55), total assists (58), total points (168), scoring offense (2.62 goals/game) and assists per game (2.76), third in points per game (8.0) and fourth in goal differential (+34).
Campbell posted a 15-4-2 overall record and defeated High Point 3-2 in the Big South final before falling at No. 27 Virginia Tech in the NCAA College Cup first round. The Camels were one of 13 teams nationally to finish with as many as 15 wins.
Morris is the second Campbell player to sign with an MLS team in the last three seasons.
Thibaut Jacquel was selected by FC Dallas in the 2020 MLS SuperDraft.
Before joining the Camels, Morris played for Tyler Junior College, where he made 45 appearances while tallying 12 goals and eight assists.
"We would like to welcome Jake to the Crew," said Columbus Crew President & General Manager Tim Bezbatchenko. "Jake is a young player whose addition to our roster will help increase the depth of our backline. We look forward to incorporating him into our squad and working with him as he continues his professional development."
Prior to his time in the collegiate ranks, Morris was part of the Sounders Academy from 2016-2018. During his time in Seattle, the defender featured for the Tacoma Defiance, Sounders FC's second team.
Morris (22 years old) joins his brother Aidan Morris (20 years old) on the Black & Gold roster and the two players are the 19th pair of brothers to play together in MLS.
Crew players are set to report for entrance physicals and testing on January 16 before departing for a training camp in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, from January 18-28. With the seasonal bubble currently encompassing the field at Historic Crew Stadium, the Crew will train in-market from February 1-6 at the OhioHealth Performance Center prior to traveling to Charleston, South Carolina, for the second trip of the preseason from February 7-19.
The Crew opens the 2022 MLS season by hosting Vancouver Whitecaps FC at Lower.com Field in Opening Match on Saturday, February 26 at 3:30 p.m.
