Cal Jennings (born May 17, 1997) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a forward.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Caleb Jennings | ||
| Date of birth | (1997-05-17) May 17, 1997 (age 25) | ||
| Place of birth | Atlanta, Georgia, United States | ||
| Height | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)[1] | ||
| Position(s) | Forward | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2015–2016 | Georgia United | ||
| College career | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2016–2019 | UCF Knights | 64 | (46) |
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2020 | Memphis 901 | 14 | (9) |
| 2021 | Indy Eleven | 0 | (0) |
| 2021–2022 | Los Angeles FC | 9 | (0) |
| 2021–2022 | → Las Vegas Lights (loan) | 45 | (22) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of October 22, 2022 | |||
Born in Atlanta, Georgia, Jennings attended Roswell High School where he played two seasons for the school's soccer team.[2] He also spent a season with U.S. Soccer Development Academy club Georgia United.[2]
After graduating high school, Jennings enrolled at the University of Central Florida and joined the UCF Knights college soccer team. He made his debut on August 26, 2016 against the Grand Canyon Antelopes.[3] He scored his first and only goal of his freshman season on October 8 against the Memphis Tigers in a 2–3 defeat.[3] During the 2017 season, Jennings scored 7 goals in 16 matches.[3] The next season, Jennings had a breakout season, scoring 20 goals and starting all 18 matches for the Knights.[4] He ended the season as the NCAA Division I second top-scorer.[4]
During his final season with the Knights, Jennings scored 18 goals in 20 matches, earning several individual accolades.[4] He was named a semifinalist for the Hermann Trophy for the 2019 season.[4]
On January 9, 2020, Jennings was selected with the 17th overall pick by FC Dallas in the 2020 MLS SuperDraft.[5] However, in late February, he was released from the club's pre-season camp without earning a first-team contract.[6] A few months later, on July 13, Jennings joined USL Championship club Memphis 901.[7]
Jennings made his professional debut for Memphis 901 on July 15, coming on as a 62nd minute substitute during a 3–0 defeat against Birmingham Legion.[8] He then scored his first goal for the club on July 18 against Atlanta United 2 during a 2–2 draw.[9]
Jennings ended his first season scoring a hat-trick on October 3 against Birmingham Legion. His three goals helped the club to a 3–1 victory.[10] This was part of a scoring run in which Jennings scored in four games in a row, netting eight goals.[11]
On December 4, 2020, Jennings joined USL Championship club Indy Eleven for the 2021 season.[12] However, on March 9, 2021, it was announced that Jennings had signed with Major League Soccer club Los Angeles FC without playing a game for Indy Eleven.[13] To make the signing, Los Angeles FC traded their natural third-round selection in the 2022 MLS SuperDraft for Jennings' college rights from FC Dallas.[13] Following the 2022 season, Jennings was released by LAFC.[14]
| Club | Season | League | National cup | Other | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Memphis 901 | 2020 | USL Championship | 14 | 9 | — | — | — | — | 14 | 9 |
| Los Angeles FC | 2021 | Major League Soccer | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 6 | 0 |
| Career total | 20 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 9 | ||
Los Angeles FC
American Athletic Conference Men's Soccer Player of the Year | |
|---|---|
| Offensive Player of the Year | |
| Defensive Player of the Year | |
| Midfielder of the Year | |
| Goalkeeper of the Year | |
2018 NCAA Division I Men's Soccer First-Team All-America | |
|---|---|
| Goalkeeper | |
| Defenders | |
| Midfielders | |
| Forwards | |
2019 NCAA Division I Men's Soccer First-Team All-America | |
|---|---|
| Goalkeeper | |
| Defenders | |
| Midfielders | |
| Forwards |
|