Villanova lands verbal commitment from Sounders Academy midfielder

Villanova's recruiting wins continue to mount as the local college soccer program recently landed a verbal commitment from a top-rated midfielder from the Seattle Sounders FC Academy.

Samual Rogers verbally committed to join the Big East program next fall, according to TopDrawerSoccer.com, which has him ranked No. 102 on its top 150 prospect list for the class of 2017.

The 17-year-old from Tukwila, Washington has started 27 games for the Sounders U16 team this season in U.S. Development Academy play. He was called into a U.S. U18 camp in Florida back in January.

Rogers told TopDrawerSoccer.com (pay wall) that he felt like he belonged at the suburban Philadelphia school "the minute I stepped on the Villanova campus."

"Villanova is rich in tradition and history and I am very proud to be getting a great education at an amazing university while I play the game I really love," he said.

Rogers is the fifth verbal commitment for the class of 2017, joining Michigan forward Vincent Manzo, Connecticut midfielder Theo Quartey and Penn Fusion teammates Richie Schlentz and Maxwell Zandi.

Head coach Tom Carlin's 2016 recruiting class includes highly touted Red Bulls Academy defender Sean Teixeira, U.S. youth international Nikkye DePoint and Philadelphia Union Academy teammates Conor Bradley and Shane Bradley.