Highly-rated midfielder verbally commits to Penn

A highly-rated midfielder who recently joined the Sporting Kansas City’s youth academy is heading to the University of Pennsylvania next fall.

Isaac McGinnis, who came in No. 78 in TopDrawerSoccer’s most recent IMG Academy 150 for the class of 2018, announced his verbal commitment to the program in late January.

Until recently, McGinnis had been playing for upstate New York club Empire United in the U.S. Soccer Development Academy, where Penn head coach Rudy Fuller recruited one of his recent signees for the incoming class this fall, midfielder Jake Kohlbrenner.

McGinnis made his Sporting Kansas City debut with a start for the U16 team in a 3-1 win over Solar Chelsea SC in Tulsa, Oklahoma last week. He had three goals in 13 games and 12 starts for Empire United in the first half of the season.

He’ll be in good company when he arrives in West Philly next fall.

The Quakers have five players who spent time in MLS academies returning from last year’s team: Jerel Blades, Gideon Metrikin and Joe Swenson from the New York Red Bulls, Brandon Bartel from Orlando City and Marc Kiazi-Lutu from Seattle Sounders.

San Jose Earthquakes Academy midfielder Amado Lozano is part of the recruiting class expected to arrive to campus this fall.