Wolverines Sign 11 to 2017 Class
5/8/2017 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- University of Michigan men's soccer head coach Chaka Daley announced on Monday (May 8) the addition of 10 true freshman student-athletes in Joel Harrison (Langley, B.C./Burnaby Central), Henry Mashburn (Weston, Fla./Cypress Bay), Jacob Nunner (Shelby Township, Mich./De La Salle), Umar Farouk Osman (Tamale, Ghana/The Hotchkiss School [Conn.]), Nash Pirie (Barrington, Ill./Barrington), Jackson Ragen (Seattle, Wash./University Prep), Austin Swiech (Jenison, Mich./Jenison), Carlos Tellez (Hollywood, Fla./Archbishop McCarthy), Marc Ybarra (Ann Arbor, Mich./Skyline) and Mohammed Zakyi (Tamale, Ghana/Canterbury School [Conn.]). Additionally, the Wolverines welcomed Daniel Mukuna (Manchester, England/Campbell University), as a mid-year transfer, into the U-M program after two seasons at Campbell University.
In all, the class is hailed as the No. 9 class in the country by CollegeSoccerNews.com and No. 8 by TopDrawerSoccer.com. This is the fourth top-10 class in the Chaka Daley era.
Our coaching staff has done an outstanding job recruiting a class that will fully complement our returning players, provide quality depth, and compete immediately within our highly regarded Big Ten soccer conference," remarked Daley. "Equally as important, we have also added eleven tremendous young men with great character that will flourish in the community, and excel as student-athletes at U-M. We look forward to the impact that these young men will have on our soccer program for years to come."
ATHLETE INFORMATION
Head coach Chaka Daley provides commentary on each student-athlete below ...
Joel Harrison - Defender
Joel joins us from the Vancouver Whitecaps academy, where he has been one of the most highly regarded players in recent years. A defender by trade, Joel is comfortable at the center back, right back and the No. 6 position. He has a maturity belying his years, evidenced by his callup and debut for the Vancouver Whitecaps USL team at the age of 15. Joel reads the game very well, has excellent range of passing and possesses excellent timing in the air. As well as being captain of the U16 and U18 residency teams at Vancouver, he has represented the Canadian National team at the U18 level. Joel has bags of potential, and we look forward to helping him grow as a player and a person during his time at Michigan.
Henry Mashburn - Goalkeeper
Henry will bring plenty of international experience with him, as he has again been selected by the Honduran National Team as they prepare for the 2017 U20 World Cup in South Korea. He earned his first start with Honduras during the U17 World Cup in Chile, where he started vs. Ecuador in the group stage. Henry has been a part of the famed Weston Academy in south Florida for the past seven years and has cemented himself as one of the best goalkeepers in the region. Henry has all the attributes necessary to be a successful goalkeeper in the modern mold as his strengths lie in his soccer IQ, positional awareness and decision making on and off the ball. We are very excited to see how Henry develops as he has potential to become a very successful college goalkeeper who will look to compete from day one.
Jacob Nunner - Goalkeeper
Jacob is a goalkeeper with a big personality and a high ceiling in terms of development. Jacob is a phenomenal athlete who can make the difficult saves look easy. His shot-stopping ability combined with his commitment to putting his body on the line at all costs, will give him an opportunity to be competitive right away. A local product from Shelby Township, Michigan, Jacob has played with Vardar USSDA since 2014. His eagerness and enthusiasm to become a Michigan Man is contagious, and we are thrilled to watch him reach for his potential over the next four years.
Umar Farouk Osman - Midfielder
Umar joins us from Ghana's famed Right to Dream Academy, joining fellow graduates and teammates Zakyi Mohammed and Francis Atuahene. A truly talented and dangerous player with speed and skill, Umar is most comfortable as a true No. 10 but can play on either flank or even at left fullback. He has a special left foot and can create goals and chances out of nothing with his technique in tight areas. His attacking threat in his senior year at The Hotchkiss School earned him recognition as Prep High School Player of the Year as well as being named to the 2016 High School All-America team. There is little doubt he is one of the most talented players to emerge from Right to Dream, and we are excited to see what the future holds for him.
Nash Pirie - Defender
Nash is an exciting prospect for us, as he comes into the team with as much potential as anyone else in the class. He is an athletically gifted attacking full-back with a background as a successful track athlete, who currently plays for FC United in the Chicago area. Nash passes well from the back, is a good 1v1 defender and offers a real threat with the timing of his runs into the final third -- as showcased by his four goals and 13 assists from left-back in his senior high school season. Since turning his focus from track to soccer he has developed his game at an incredible rate and has adapted and excelled at each level he has played, culminating in his selection as the 2016 Illinois High School Player of the Year. We are very excited to aid Nash's continued growth here in Ann Arbor.
Jackson Ragen - Defender/Midfielder
Jackson has seen his stock rise steadily over the last few years. After some outstanding seasons as captain of Seattle United, he was selected as a member of the Region IV ODP team and joined the Seattle Sounders Development Academy in the summer of 2016. Though a holding midfielder by trade, Jackson has shown his versatility by establishing himself as a starting center-back for the Sounders' U18 team, in part thanks to his 6-foot-4 frame and great timing in the air. His performances have seen him invited into USL training and games, along with MLS first team training. The quality and range of Jackson's passing is perhaps his biggest strength, and will enable him to compete at the No. 6 and center-back roles early in his college career. He has been able to adapt and thrive to every level of soccer he has set his mind to, and we anticipate the same when he joins our group.
Austin Swiech - Midfielder
Austin is an extremely talented and versatile player who can contribute at fullback, holding midfield and attacking midfield equally effectively. He has excellent distribution and is a real threat with his set-piece delivery. He comes to us from the powerhouse program of Midwest United in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Austin's performances for Jenison High School led his team to a conference championship and saw him become the only player from the state of Michigan to be named to the 2016 High School All-America team.
Carlos Tellez - Midfielder
Carlos is a combative central midfielder who, like Henry Mashburn, comes to us from the Weston FC's Development Academy, a program with a proven record of producing college-ready soccer players over the years. Carlos is technically proficient in his own right and does a fantastic job turning defense into attack and facilitating for the attacking players around him. His real value, however, comes in the form of his intangible qualities, as he is no doubt one of the most competitive and hard-working players in the academy. His leadership and determination to win is exemplary, and we envision him growing into a great leader as well as a top player during his time here at Michigan.
Marc Ybarra - Midfielder
Marc is a very talented local product who comes to us from the outstanding Crew SC Academy Wolves. He has excellent awareness, high soccer IQ, great passing ability, loves to compete and has a great engine -- in short he possesses all the necessary attributes to become a top-class holding midfielder. Though he has a quiet demeanor off of the field, Marc is a natural leader on it with both his vocal and physical presence; organizing the players around him and driving the work rate of the team. He has captained his academy team over the past two years, seeing them to a No. 6 national ranking in the USSDA going into the 2016 playoffs and enjoying another great year as we speak; he has started every game during that period. We have been watching Marc from a young age, and he has continued to grow as a player year after year. We look forward to aiding his continued development over the next four years.
Mohammed Zakyi - Forward
Zakyi is a player with the size, speed and ability to make an immediate impact in the short term and still has room in his game to grow, which makes him a very exciting prospect. He possesses great instincts in and around the goal and can finish equally comfortably with both feet, as well as being a threat in the air. Zakyi is a player with great pedigree, having represented the Ghana U17 National Team as well as spending many years at the Right to Dream Academy and with Manchester City's Academy. He has scored and created goals wherever he has been, including a phenomenal 60 goals and 40 assists in his last two seasons playing for the Canterbury School in Connecticut, a tally that saw him named to the High School All-America team in 2016.
Daniel Mukuna - Defender
Daniel is a physically dominant center back with great timing and technique in the air. Though he stands at 6-2 and 190 pounds, Daniel is comfortable in possession and has great confidence in his range of passing. Originally from Manchester, England, Daniel is an old-school center back who thrives on the physical nature of the position. He brings an imposing presence to the back four and offers a goal-scoring threat from set pieces, having scored three during his last season with Campbell University. His performances over two seasons with the Camels saw him twice recognized as a member of the All Big South Second Team as well as being named to the Big South All-Freshman Team, 2015 Big South All-Tournament Team and 2016 North Carolina All-State Team.
