Lipscomb University men’s soccer unveils 10-player recruiting class

NASHVILLE  – The Lipscomb University men’s soccer team and head coach Charles Morrow announced the 2020 recruiting class on Monday, adding 10 newcomers to the Purple and Gold.

“I think what I’m most pleased with in this class is we were able to address some deficiencies within our group last year,” Morrow said. “We should come out of this with a much more potent offense and some dynamic attacking players. Not only were we able to really address that portion of what we thought we needed with the team, but I think we were also able to pick up some quality players to fill holes from graduating players last year.”

The 2020 class is one of the most formidable in program history, with the staff bringing in players from four different states and four different countries to bolster a roster that lost five seniors from last season’s squad.

“We are not only happy with this mix of players from the level of play that they are bringing in, but we we’re really happy with the styles that each one of them have,” Morrow said. “Just from what we’ve seen in person and the more we research, we really think that all these guys will play well together and have the ability to mesh quickly.

“A much as you can go down the list and look at the accolades and levels that they’ve played at and see that obviously they’re good players, but what we’ve been impressed with so far is the quality of people that they are as well. They all seem to be team players and want to succeed individually, but are really concerned and focused on how we can perform and reach our potential as a team.”

Read about the signees below and follow @LipscombMSOC on Twitter to welcome each player to Bison Nation.

Marlon Grossman | 6-2 | 190 | F | Schwäbisch Gmund, Germany | SSV ULM 1846 

• Made 26 appearances in the U17 and U19 Bundesligas

• Part of the U17 Southern-German Championship-Winning FC Heidenheim squad

• Advanced to the second round of the DFB-Pokal with a victory over TSG Hoffenheim

• 2nd Captain for FC Heidenheim

• Planned Sports Management major

Gerik Jakubowski | 6-2 | 180 | F | Phoenix, Ariz. | Real Salt Lake AZ

• First-Team All-Region at Sunnyslope High School

• Led TSV Allershausen in assists, second in goals for a season

• Won U16 State Cup Championship with Real Salt Lake AZ

• Two-time Far West Region Champion

• Joins his brother Zarek, an upcoming junior, on the Bisons roster

Austin Marfell | 5-9 | 155 | W | Warner Robins, Ga. | Concorde Fire

• Advanced to ECNL National Championship Final

• Team MVP for Houston County High School

• Two-year team captain

• Won the regional championship with HCHS

• Planned major is Nursing

Luca Naumann | 5-7 | 150 | MF | Berlin, Germany | SV Lichtenberg 47

• Won the U19 Bundesliga title with Hertha BSC Berlin

• Participated in the UEFA Youth League with Hertha BSC Berlin

• Earned three caps for the U17 German National Team

• Most recently played for SV Lichtenberg 47 in the Regionalliga Nordost

• Planned major is Psychology

Preston Price | 5-10 | 155 | MF | Columbia, Tenn. | Columbia Central | Lobos Rush 

• Highest goal scorer in school history with 87 goals

• One-time All-Region and four-time All-District

• ECNL All-Conference team for Tennessee Soccer Club

• 27 goals and 12 assists in 37 games for club team

• Received ECNL Bahamaian National Training Camp invite

Dane Seraphine | 6-2 | 175 | D | Nashville, Tenn. | Tennessee Soccer Club 

• 2019 State and Regional Champion with Tennessee Soccer Club

• Team MVP and captain in 2018 for Middle Tennessee Fire

• 2018 Disney Showcase champion with Darlington School Soccer Academy

• Planned major is Psychology

Javanne Smith | 6-0 | 160 | F | Nottingham, England | Chesterfield FC

• Played for Chesterfield FC of the National League

• Chesterfield competes in the 5th Tier of the English Soccer System

• Made an appearance in the FA Youth Cup competition

• Brother, Kimarni Smith, is an All-American forward at Clemson

Tyrese Spicer | 6-1 | 153 | W | Trincity, Trinidad and Tobago | St. Augustine Secondary School 

• Secondary School Football League Player of the Year

• Scored 35 goals and notched 25 assists in 55 games

• 2017 North Zone champion

• Played two matches with U15 Trinidad and Tobago and notched two assists

• Called up to Trinidad and Tobago National Team training camp in June 2020

Kyle Sutton | 5-11 | 150 | F | Branson, Mo. | Pinnacle FC 

• Holds Branson High School career records with 78 goals and 36 assists

• Named Missouri Class 4 First-Team All-State

• Two-time All-Region and Four-time All-District

• Won the Parkview Classic with Branson HS

• Won the Germantown Invitational with Pinnacle FC

Will Turner | 6-0 | 175 | D | Nashville, Tenn. | Father Ryan High School 

• Won the state championship with Father Ryan

• 2019 All-State honoree and two-time team MVP

• Scored 26 goals and notched 15 assists during senior season

• Also played for Tennessee Soccer Club

• Was originally slated to join the Bisons in 2019, but spent August 2019-March 2020 participating in the YES Abroad program in Senegal