Photo by: Jaylynn Nash LLC
Muuss Welcomes Nine in 2020 Signing Class
4/8/2020 2:14:00 PM | Men's Soccer
The Wake Forest men's soccer program is adding a forward, three midfielders and five defenders.
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. -- Head coach Bobby Muuss announced the Wake Forest men's soccer program's 2020 signing class on Wednesday afternoon, featuring nine incoming Demon Deacons.
The signing class is ranked No. 4 in the nation by TopDrawerSoccer, giving the Deacs a top-five recruiting class in each of Muuss' six years at the helm.
This year's class features a forward, three midfielders and five defenders.
"We're really excited about this year's signing class and can't wait to get them on campus," Muuss said. "It's a versatile group with high-level experience, which will help us all over the field. I especially want to thank my Associate Head Coaches, Steve Armas and Dane Brenner, for their hard work on the road to help put this impressive class together."
The Deacs have sent 17 alumni to the MLS ranks in Muuss' first five seasons, 11 via the SuperDraft and six as homegrown signees.
Wake Forest has an 89-16-9 record the last five years, more wins than any other Division I program.
Reclassified from the class of 2021, graduating early in 2020 ... Rated as the No. 72 prospect in the country by TopDrawerSoccer ... Competed for four seasons in the New York City FC Academy, appearing in 86 matches and starting 79 of them ... Was one of 10 Academy players to compete with the NYCFC first team during the 2020 preseason ... Participated in U.S. U-14 National Team camps ... Selected Wake Forest over Duke, Boston College and North Carolina.
Personal:
Born on Aug. 30, 2003 ... Son of Anna Amponsah ... Born in Ghana and moved to the U.S. at age 7.
Muuss' Take:
"An opportunity to add a player like Prince is something we are extremely excited about. He is a very technical player who fits the way we want to build, and is a very good 1v1 defender. He has a very bright future in the game and we are looking forward to working with him here at Wake."
Rated as a three-star recruit by TopDrawerSoccer, as well as the No. 12 recruit from Texas ... Joined FC Dallas' U-17 Academy as a sophomore before debuting with the USL side North Texas FC as a senior ... Named to the Best XI in the 2018 Liga MX Internacional ... Selected Wake Forest over Duke, SMU, Tulsa and Columbia.
Personal:
Born on March 27, 2002 ... Son of Jose and Nancy Escribano ... Born in Madrid, Spain, and holds dual citizenship ... Member of the National Honor Society in high school.
Muuss' Take:
"Cristian was a fantastic addition to this class who brings a tenacity and hunger to win. His work rate and competitiveness are qualities that will serve him well during his time here at Wake Forest. He's an attacking-minded outside back who has versatility, technical quality and a feisty demeanor that you want in your squad as a coach."
Rated by TopDrawerSoccer as the No. 32 prospect in the nation, as well as the top recruit from Florida and the No. 13 defender in the country ... Earned his first call up to the U.S. U-17 National Team for international friendlies in Costa Rica in 2018 ... Joined the Orlando City SC Academy in 2016, also earning experience with USL clubs SIMA Aguilas (2018) and Orlando City B (2019) ... Went on trial with Brondby IF in Denmark, playing friendlies with the U-19 squad, in January 2020 ... Selected Wake Forest over Georgetown, UCF, Portland and Kentucky.
Personal:
Born on Feb. 5, 2002 ... Son of Pauline Lawrence ... Previously attended Montverde Academy in Florida.
Muuss' Take:
"In my opinion, Jahlane has a skill set which could be developed into one of the best attacking backs in our league. He has speed, agility and an eagerness to attack that will suit him well within our system, and fits our style of play. Jahlane has had stints in different National Team levels and his experiences in the game thus far will serve him well making the adjustment to college soccer."
Enrolled early at Wake Forest, beginning school in January 2020 ... Rated as a three-star recruit by TopDrawerSoccer ... Played club soccer with the IMG Academy's U18 Elite Boys squad.
Personal:
Born on July 1, 2002 ... Son of Mumei and Yasuko Kijima.
Muuss' Take:
"It's been great to have Hosei here as he joined us in January. Hosei is a diligent player who is driven and committed to succeed. He has a good soccer IQ, technical proficiency, and versatility to help us in a few different positions. With him joining us this spring, we're already seeing glimpses of how he can help us moving forward and I'm excited for his future at Wake Forest."
Ranked by TopDrawerSoccer as the No. 104 prospect in the nation, as well as the No. 45 midfielder and the No. 10 from the South Atlantic region ... Atlanta United FC Academy team was runner-up for the national title in 2018-19, and Oliver was named to the National Best XI in that playoff run ... Scored 28 goals in four seasons in the Atlanta United FC Academy and with Concorde Fire ... Selected to the Nike National ID2 Camp ... Played in the Liga MX Internacional tournament ... Selected Wake Forest over Duke, Notre Dame, Clemson, SMU, Xavier, Brown, Dartmouth, Louisville and Kentucky.
Personal:
Born on Feb. 4, 2002 ... Son of Greg and Rhonda Oliver ... Four-year honor roll member at Woodward Academy.
Muuss' Take:
"Chase is a versatile attacking player who can fit into several different positions in our system. He's an exciting player who enjoys taking players on, creates chances with his work rate, and always puts himself and others in good positions to create scoring opportunities. Chase is a competitive young man on and off the field, which I am ecstatic to have coming in this fall."
Participated in New Zealand Youth National Team camps with the U-17 and U-20 squads ... Previously played club soccer with new Deacon teammate Calvin Harris in New Zealand ... Scored 22 goals in 53 games over three seasons with the Vancouver Whitecaps FC Academy, including nine goals in nine starts in the 2019-20 season.
Personal:
Born on April 3, 2001 ... Son of Pascal and Sophie Raimbault ... Graduated from high school with honors.
Muuss' Take:
"Thomas is a dangerous goal-scoring threat. He is always near the top of the goal-scoring leaders in the US Soccer Development Academy and was a key addition to this class. Thomas is another player with some international experience as he has had call-ups with varying levels of the New Zealand Youth National Team system. Thomas has qualities on the ball to take players on to create for himself, while also having a nose for the goal to get on the end of service."
Background:
Played for IFK Stocksund in Danderyd, Sweden, competing for both the men's and U-19 teams ... Totaled 11 goals and 13 assists over 26 matches in 2019.
Personal:
Born on April 1, 2000 ... Son of Mark and Monica Sears.
Muuss' Take:
"I'm very excited to see what Oscar will bring to the program. He's a player we recruited from Sweden who has the abilities and qualities to fill many positions in our system. Oscar is a highly technical player with quickness and savviness as a player that you get excited about as a coach to work with. He enjoys taking players on in 1v1 situations, while also possessing a soccer intelligence of when and how to play in combination to create dangerous scoring opportunities."
Rated as a three-star recruit by TopDrawerSoccer, as well as the No. 23 prospect form the South Atlantic region ... Over his four years of club soccer, he scored 29 goals in 108 matches ... Selected Wake Forest over Air Force, Cornell, North Carolina and Notre Dame.
Personal:
Born on Feb. 7, 2002 ... Son of Jonathan and Melissa Thomas ... Member of the National Honor Society, Lamp of Knowledge and was a Superintendent Key Scholar in high school.
Muuss' Take:
"Colin is an intelligent and attacking player we recruited from Georgia, who has a high work rate and scrappy mentality in his game. He reminds me in many ways of a young Luis Argudo in his unrelenting approach to his game on both sides of the ball. He has a blue-collar mentality and finds ways to get the job done. I'm excited to work with Colin and develop his already deep skill set to make him an even more well-rounded player."
Selected as a three-star recruit by TopDrawerSoccer, as well as the No. 26 prospect from the South Atlantic region ... Spent two seasons in the Atlanta United FC Academy, making 34 appearances and 31 starts ... Previously scored 17 goals in three seasons with the Armada FC Pro Academy ... Made his USL Championship debut with Atlanta United 2 in 2019 ... Has trained with Aberdeen FC in Scottish Premiership ... Selected Wake Forest over Notre Dame, Clemson, Georgetown and Temple.
Personal:
Born on Feb. 17, 2002 ... Son of Craig and Yolanda Tubbs ... Four-year honor roll student ... Member of the Beta Club in high school and was a Georgia Secretary of State Student Ambassador ... Finalist for the Governor's Honors Program in Math, and also earned the Pythagoras Award for Excellence in math and Distinguished Learners Award in science ... Father, Craig, played baseball and basketball at Miami University (Ohio) ... Mother, Yolanda, was on the track team and cheerleading squad at Wilmington College ... Sister, Makaela, was a dancer at Valdosta State.
Muuss' Take:
"I can't wait to get Garrison to Wake Forest and begin to work with him. Garrison is a player that our staff was excited about the moment they saw him play. He brings an athletic quality to the game that you cannot teach and his ambition to succeed at the highest levels in the classroom make him a natural fit for Wake Forest. Garrison continues to impress me each time I see him with his progress in developing his technical and tactical understanding of the game."
The signing class is ranked No. 4 in the nation by TopDrawerSoccer, giving the Deacs a top-five recruiting class in each of Muuss' six years at the helm.
This year's class features a forward, three midfielders and five defenders.
"We're really excited about this year's signing class and can't wait to get them on campus," Muuss said. "It's a versatile group with high-level experience, which will help us all over the field. I especially want to thank my Associate Head Coaches, Steve Armas and Dane Brenner, for their hard work on the road to help put this impressive class together."
The Deacs have sent 17 alumni to the MLS ranks in Muuss' first five seasons, 11 via the SuperDraft and six as homegrown signees.
Wake Forest has an 89-16-9 record the last five years, more wins than any other Division I program.
Prince Amponsah
Defender | 5-11 | 150 | Bronx, N.Y. | Manhattan Hunter Science HS | NYCFC Academy
Background:Defender | 5-11 | 150 | Bronx, N.Y. | Manhattan Hunter Science HS | NYCFC Academy
Reclassified from the class of 2021, graduating early in 2020 ... Rated as the No. 72 prospect in the country by TopDrawerSoccer ... Competed for four seasons in the New York City FC Academy, appearing in 86 matches and starting 79 of them ... Was one of 10 Academy players to compete with the NYCFC first team during the 2020 preseason ... Participated in U.S. U-14 National Team camps ... Selected Wake Forest over Duke, Boston College and North Carolina.
Personal:
Born on Aug. 30, 2003 ... Son of Anna Amponsah ... Born in Ghana and moved to the U.S. at age 7.
Muuss' Take:
"An opportunity to add a player like Prince is something we are extremely excited about. He is a very technical player who fits the way we want to build, and is a very good 1v1 defender. He has a very bright future in the game and we are looking forward to working with him here at Wake."
We've got one more signee! Prince Amponsah reclassified from the class of 2021 to join the Deacs this fall. Born in Ghana, Prince is part of the @NYCFC Academy. #GoDeacs @CoachBobbyMuuss pic.twitter.com/o7YtUTfBEm
— Wake Men's Soccer (@WakeMSoccer) April 3, 2020
Cristian Escribano
Defender | 5-10 | 140 | Frisco, Texas | Legacy Christian Academy | FC Dallas Academy
Background:Defender | 5-10 | 140 | Frisco, Texas | Legacy Christian Academy | FC Dallas Academy
Rated as a three-star recruit by TopDrawerSoccer, as well as the No. 12 recruit from Texas ... Joined FC Dallas' U-17 Academy as a sophomore before debuting with the USL side North Texas FC as a senior ... Named to the Best XI in the 2018 Liga MX Internacional ... Selected Wake Forest over Duke, SMU, Tulsa and Columbia.
Personal:
Born on March 27, 2002 ... Son of Jose and Nancy Escribano ... Born in Madrid, Spain, and holds dual citizenship ... Member of the National Honor Society in high school.
Muuss' Take:
"Cristian was a fantastic addition to this class who brings a tenacity and hunger to win. His work rate and competitiveness are qualities that will serve him well during his time here at Wake Forest. He's an attacking-minded outside back who has versatility, technical quality and a feisty demeanor that you want in your squad as a coach."
We're happy to have our next signee, Cristian Escribano! Born in Madrid, Cristian comes to us from the @FCDallas Academy and also has experience with @northtexasSC. #GoDeacs pic.twitter.com/jtuqJyl22k
— Wake Men's Soccer (@WakeMSoccer) March 24, 2020
Jahlane Forbes
Defender | 6-0 | 155 | Clermont, Fla. | Florida Virtual School | Orlando SC Academy
Background:Defender | 6-0 | 155 | Clermont, Fla. | Florida Virtual School | Orlando SC Academy
Rated by TopDrawerSoccer as the No. 32 prospect in the nation, as well as the top recruit from Florida and the No. 13 defender in the country ... Earned his first call up to the U.S. U-17 National Team for international friendlies in Costa Rica in 2018 ... Joined the Orlando City SC Academy in 2016, also earning experience with USL clubs SIMA Aguilas (2018) and Orlando City B (2019) ... Went on trial with Brondby IF in Denmark, playing friendlies with the U-19 squad, in January 2020 ... Selected Wake Forest over Georgetown, UCF, Portland and Kentucky.
Personal:
Born on Feb. 5, 2002 ... Son of Pauline Lawrence ... Previously attended Montverde Academy in Florida.
Muuss' Take:
"In my opinion, Jahlane has a skill set which could be developed into one of the best attacking backs in our league. He has speed, agility and an eagerness to attack that will suit him well within our system, and fits our style of play. Jahlane has had stints in different National Team levels and his experiences in the game thus far will serve him well making the adjustment to college soccer."
Our next signee is Jahlane Forbes! A top 40 prospect in the nation, Jahlane is a member of the @OrlandoCitySC Academy and has experience with the U.S. U-17 National Team. #GoDeacs @CoachBobbyMuuss pic.twitter.com/oSBDSGv3SH
— Wake Men's Soccer (@WakeMSoccer) March 25, 2020
Hosei Kijima
Defender | 5-10 | 165 | Yokohama, Japan | IMG Academy (Fla.)
Background:Defender | 5-10 | 165 | Yokohama, Japan | IMG Academy (Fla.)
Enrolled early at Wake Forest, beginning school in January 2020 ... Rated as a three-star recruit by TopDrawerSoccer ... Played club soccer with the IMG Academy's U18 Elite Boys squad.
Personal:
Born on July 1, 2002 ... Son of Mumei and Yasuko Kijima.
Muuss' Take:
"It's been great to have Hosei here as he joined us in January. Hosei is a diligent player who is driven and committed to succeed. He has a good soccer IQ, technical proficiency, and versatility to help us in a few different positions. With him joining us this spring, we're already seeing glimpses of how he can help us moving forward and I'm excited for his future at Wake Forest."
Please welcome our first signee, Hosei Kijima! He's from Japan and played at the IMG Academy in Florida. Hosei joined us in January to compete in our spring season.@CoachBobbyMuuss #GoDeacs pic.twitter.com/kiG6CnLiwU
— Wake Men's Soccer (@WakeMSoccer) March 23, 2020
Chase Oliver
Midfielder | 5-9 | 150 | Kennesaw, Ga. | Woodward Academy | Atlanta United FC Academy
Background:Midfielder | 5-9 | 150 | Kennesaw, Ga. | Woodward Academy | Atlanta United FC Academy
Ranked by TopDrawerSoccer as the No. 104 prospect in the nation, as well as the No. 45 midfielder and the No. 10 from the South Atlantic region ... Atlanta United FC Academy team was runner-up for the national title in 2018-19, and Oliver was named to the National Best XI in that playoff run ... Scored 28 goals in four seasons in the Atlanta United FC Academy and with Concorde Fire ... Selected to the Nike National ID2 Camp ... Played in the Liga MX Internacional tournament ... Selected Wake Forest over Duke, Notre Dame, Clemson, SMU, Xavier, Brown, Dartmouth, Louisville and Kentucky.
Personal:
Born on Feb. 4, 2002 ... Son of Greg and Rhonda Oliver ... Four-year honor roll member at Woodward Academy.
Muuss' Take:
"Chase is a versatile attacking player who can fit into several different positions in our system. He's an exciting player who enjoys taking players on, creates chances with his work rate, and always puts himself and others in good positions to create scoring opportunities. Chase is a competitive young man on and off the field, which I am ecstatic to have coming in this fall."
Get to know our next signee, Chase Oliver! Ranked as the No. 104 prospect in the nation, Oliver comes from the @ATLUTD Academy, where he was named to the National Best XI as the team finished as national runners-up last year. #GoDeacs @CoachBobbyMuuss pic.twitter.com/vRHaAdOVvF
— Wake Men's Soccer (@WakeMSoccer) March 30, 2020
Thomas Raimbault
Forward | 5-11 | 175 | Wellington, New Zealand | University Hill Secondary (Vancouver, B.C., Canada) | Vancouver Whitecaps FC Academy
Background:Forward | 5-11 | 175 | Wellington, New Zealand | University Hill Secondary (Vancouver, B.C., Canada) | Vancouver Whitecaps FC Academy
Participated in New Zealand Youth National Team camps with the U-17 and U-20 squads ... Previously played club soccer with new Deacon teammate Calvin Harris in New Zealand ... Scored 22 goals in 53 games over three seasons with the Vancouver Whitecaps FC Academy, including nine goals in nine starts in the 2019-20 season.
Personal:
Born on April 3, 2001 ... Son of Pascal and Sophie Raimbault ... Graduated from high school with honors.
Muuss' Take:
"Thomas is a dangerous goal-scoring threat. He is always near the top of the goal-scoring leaders in the US Soccer Development Academy and was a key addition to this class. Thomas is another player with some international experience as he has had call-ups with varying levels of the New Zealand Youth National Team system. Thomas has qualities on the ball to take players on to create for himself, while also having a nose for the goal to get on the end of service."
Time for a new flag on Walt's Wall! 🇳🇿
— Wake Men's Soccer (@WakeMSoccer) April 1, 2020
Welcome to Thomas Raimbault, who has been part of New Zealand Youth National Teams, and scored 22 goals in 53 games with @WhitecapsFC Academy.#GoDeacs @CoachBobbyMuuss pic.twitter.com/5CS5TkY4GL
Oscar Sears
Midfielder | 5-8 | 150 | Stockholm, Sweden | Danderyds Gymnasium | IFK Stocksund
Midfielder | 5-8 | 150 | Stockholm, Sweden | Danderyds Gymnasium | IFK Stocksund
Background:
Played for IFK Stocksund in Danderyd, Sweden, competing for both the men's and U-19 teams ... Totaled 11 goals and 13 assists over 26 matches in 2019.
Personal:
Born on April 1, 2000 ... Son of Mark and Monica Sears.
Muuss' Take:
"I'm very excited to see what Oscar will bring to the program. He's a player we recruited from Sweden who has the abilities and qualities to fill many positions in our system. Oscar is a highly technical player with quickness and savviness as a player that you get excited about as a coach to work with. He enjoys taking players on in 1v1 situations, while also possessing a soccer intelligence of when and how to play in combination to create dangerous scoring opportunities."
Adding some international flair in newcomer Oscar Sears from Sweden. Last year with IFK Stocksund, he totaled 11 goals and 13 assists in 26 matches. #GoDeacs @CoachBobbyMuuss pic.twitter.com/rqjDyB55Ej
— Wake Men's Soccer (@WakeMSoccer) March 27, 2020
Colin Thomas
Midfielder | 5-7 | 135 | Canton, Ga. | Creekview HS | United Futbol Academy
Background:Midfielder | 5-7 | 135 | Canton, Ga. | Creekview HS | United Futbol Academy
Rated as a three-star recruit by TopDrawerSoccer, as well as the No. 23 prospect form the South Atlantic region ... Over his four years of club soccer, he scored 29 goals in 108 matches ... Selected Wake Forest over Air Force, Cornell, North Carolina and Notre Dame.
Personal:
Born on Feb. 7, 2002 ... Son of Jonathan and Melissa Thomas ... Member of the National Honor Society, Lamp of Knowledge and was a Superintendent Key Scholar in high school.
Muuss' Take:
"Colin is an intelligent and attacking player we recruited from Georgia, who has a high work rate and scrappy mentality in his game. He reminds me in many ways of a young Luis Argudo in his unrelenting approach to his game on both sides of the ball. He has a blue-collar mentality and finds ways to get the job done. I'm excited to work with Colin and develop his already deep skill set to make him an even more well-rounded player."
Today's future Deacon is a midfielder from Georgia, Colin Thomas! Rated as one of the top 25 prospects from the South Atlantic, Colin joins us from @United_FA. #GoDeacs @CoachBobbyMuuss pic.twitter.com/EbtPZr6APA
— Wake Men's Soccer (@WakeMSoccer) March 26, 2020
Garrison Tubbs
Defender | 6-3 | 175 | Brunswick, Ga. | Capstone Academy | Atlanta United FC Academy
Background:Defender | 6-3 | 175 | Brunswick, Ga. | Capstone Academy | Atlanta United FC Academy
Selected as a three-star recruit by TopDrawerSoccer, as well as the No. 26 prospect from the South Atlantic region ... Spent two seasons in the Atlanta United FC Academy, making 34 appearances and 31 starts ... Previously scored 17 goals in three seasons with the Armada FC Pro Academy ... Made his USL Championship debut with Atlanta United 2 in 2019 ... Has trained with Aberdeen FC in Scottish Premiership ... Selected Wake Forest over Notre Dame, Clemson, Georgetown and Temple.
Personal:
Born on Feb. 17, 2002 ... Son of Craig and Yolanda Tubbs ... Four-year honor roll student ... Member of the Beta Club in high school and was a Georgia Secretary of State Student Ambassador ... Finalist for the Governor's Honors Program in Math, and also earned the Pythagoras Award for Excellence in math and Distinguished Learners Award in science ... Father, Craig, played baseball and basketball at Miami University (Ohio) ... Mother, Yolanda, was on the track team and cheerleading squad at Wilmington College ... Sister, Makaela, was a dancer at Valdosta State.
Muuss' Take:
"I can't wait to get Garrison to Wake Forest and begin to work with him. Garrison is a player that our staff was excited about the moment they saw him play. He brings an athletic quality to the game that you cannot teach and his ambition to succeed at the highest levels in the classroom make him a natural fit for Wake Forest. Garrison continues to impress me each time I see him with his progress in developing his technical and tactical understanding of the game."
Make it back-to-back days with a signee from @ATLUTD Academy! We're excited to welcome Garrison Tubbs, a defender from Georgia, to the program. #GoDeacs pic.twitter.com/lqlLKShcue
— Wake Men's Soccer (@WakeMSoccer) March 31, 2020
Players Mentioned
Forward
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