Cal Jennings
Personal information
Full name Caleb Jennings
Date of birth (1997-05-17) May 17, 1997 (age 26)
Place of birth Atlanta, Georgia, United States
Height 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)[1]
Position(s) Forward
Team information
Current team
 Tampa Bay Rowdies
Number 26
Youth career
2015–2016 Georgia United
College career
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2016–2019 UCF Knights 66 (45)
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2020 Memphis 901 14 (9)
2021 Indy Eleven 0 (0)
2021–2022 Los Angeles FC 9 (0)
2021–2022 → Las Vegas Lights (loan) 45 (22)
2023– Tampa Bay Rowdies 31 (19)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of October 20, 2023

Cal Jennings (born May 17, 1997) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a forward who currently plays for Tampa Bay Rowdies in the USL Championship.

Early life and college

Born in Atlanta, Georgia, Jennings attended Roswell High School where he played two seasons for the school's soccer team.[2] He also spent a season with U.S. Soccer Development Academy club Georgia United.[2]

After graduating high school, Jennings enrolled at the University of Central Florida and joined the UCF Knights college soccer team. He made his debut on August 26, 2016 against the Grand Canyon Antelopes.[3] He scored his first and only goal of his freshman season on October 8 against the Memphis Tigers in a 2–3 defeat.[3] During the 2017 season, Jennings scored 7 goals in 16 matches.[3] The next season, Jennings had a breakout season, scoring 20 goals and starting all 18 matches for the Knights.[4] He ended the season tied as the NCAA Division I top-scorer.[4]

During his final season with the Knights, Jennings scored 18 goals in 20 matches, earning several individual accolades.[4] He was named a semifinalist for the Hermann Trophy for the 2019 season.[4]

Club career

Memphis 901

On January 9, 2020, Jennings was selected with the 17th overall pick by FC Dallas in the 2020 MLS SuperDraft.[5] However, in late February, he was released from the club's pre-season camp without earning a first-team contract.[6] A few months later, on July 13, Jennings joined USL Championship club Memphis 901.[7]

Jennings made his professional debut for Memphis 901 on July 15, coming on as a 62nd minute substitute during a 3–0 defeat against Birmingham Legion.[8] He then scored his first goal for the club on July 18 against Atlanta United 2 during a 2–2 draw.[9]

Jennings ended his first season scoring a hat-trick on October 3 against Birmingham Legion. His three goals helped the club to a 3–1 victory.[10] This was part of a scoring run in which Jennings scored in four games in a row, netting eight goals.[11]

Los Angeles FC

On December 4, 2020, Jennings joined USL Championship club Indy Eleven for the 2021 season.[12] However, on March 9, 2021, it was announced that Jennings had signed with Major League Soccer club Los Angeles FC without playing a game for Indy Eleven.[13] To make the signing, Los Angeles FC traded their natural third-round selection in the 2022 MLS SuperDraft for Jennings' college rights from FC Dallas.[13] Following the 2022 season, Jennings was released by LAFC.[14]

Tampa Bay Rowdies

On January 26, 2023, Jennings signed with USL Championship side Tampa Bay Rowdies.[15]

Career statistics

As of match played August 25, 2021[16]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National cup Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Memphis 901 2020 USL Championship 14 9 — — — — 14 9
Los Angeles FC 2021 Major League Soccer 6 0 0 0 — — 6 0
Career total 20 9 0 0 0 0 20 9

Honors

Los Angeles FC

individual

References

  1. ^ "Cal Jennings". Los Angeles FC. Retrieved August 20, 2022.
  2. ^ a b Parker, Joe (January 21, 2020). "Pro soccer team drafts Roswell graduate Cal Jennings". Appen Media. Retrieved March 9, 2021.
  3. ^ a b c "Cal Jennings - UCF Knights 2017". UCF Knights.
  4. ^ a b c d "Cal Jennings - 2019". UCF Knights.
  5. ^ Melcer, Garrett (January 9, 2020). "Cal Jennings: Profiling the No. 17 Pick of the 2020 MLS SuperDraft". FC Dallas. Retrieved March 9, 2021.
  6. ^ Carrick, Buzz (February 25, 2020). "No first team FC Dallas contract for Cal Jennings". 3rd Degree. Retrieved March 9, 2021.
  7. ^ "MEMPHIS 901 FC SIGNS TWO PLAYERS FOR RETURN TO PLAY". Memphis 901 FC. July 13, 2020. Archived from the original on September 18, 2020. Retrieved March 9, 2021.
  8. ^ "Birmingham Legion 3–0 Memphis 901". Soccerway.
  9. ^ "Atlanta United 2 2–2 Memphis 901". Soccerway.
  10. ^ "Memphis 901 3–1 Birmingham Legion". Soccerway.
  11. ^ Varlas, John (October 3, 2020). "Jennings bags a hat trick as 901 FC closes disappointing year with gratifying victory". Daily Memphian. Retrieved March 9, 2021.
  12. ^ "FORWARD CAL JENNINGS FIRST NEW SIGNING FOR 2021 SEASON". Indy Eleven. December 4, 2020. Retrieved March 9, 2021.
  13. ^ a b "LAFC Acquires 23-Year-Old Forward Cal Jennings". Los Angeles FC. March 9, 2021. Retrieved March 9, 2021.
  14. ^ "LAFC Announces Roster Moves For 2023 Season | Los Angeles Football Club". LAFC.
  15. ^ nicholas.murray@uslsoccer.com, NICHOLAS MURRAY- (January 26, 2023). "Cal Jennings' arrival completes Tampa Bay's front line revamp". USL Championship.
  16. ^ Cal Jennings at Soccerway

External links

Tampa Bay Rowdies – current squad
FC Dallas first-round draft picks
American Athletic Conference Men's Soccer Player of the Year
2018 NCAA Division I Men's Soccer First-Team All-America
2019 NCAA Division I Men's Soccer First-Team All-America
2020 MLS SuperDraft first-round selections
Categories