STANFORD, Calif. – More talent is headed to Stanford, with the addition of seven prep standouts signing a National Letter of Intent, Knowles Family Director of Men's Soccer Jeremy Gunn announced Monday.
Joining the Cardinal are Noah Adnan (Gaithersburg, Md./Bethesda SC Academy), Ryan Dunn (Huntersville, N.C./Carolina Rapids Development Academy), Connor Evans (Portland, Ore./Portland Timbers Academy), Eliot Jones (New Britain, Conn./New England Revolution Development Academy), Conner Maurer (Levittown, N.Y./New York Red Bulls Academy) Layton Purchase (Denver, Colo./Real Colorado Development Academy) and Aiden Weaver (Elizabethtown, Pa./Pennsylvania Classics).
The group joins a program that has appeared in the NCAA College Cup four of the last five seasons, including three national championships, and an overall record of 91-17-23 (.782) since 2014.
"The 2020 incoming class follows in the footsteps of amazing classes of student-athletes through the years," said Gunn. "As with every class of incomers, we see the incredible fortitude to translate promise and potential into consistency of excellence. We feel that we have found people who possess enough self-confidence to believe in their abilities, while maintaining the humility to know they will be challenged to constantly grow. The group will bring extra strength and depth to a very exciting returning group, thus creating internal competition that will hopefully drive the 2020 squad to even greater heights."
Noah Adnan • Gaithersburg, Md. • Bethesda SC Academy
- Prepped at Quince Orchard High School
- Started for varsity basketball while in high school
- Represented Bethesda SC Academy in the Development Academy League (2016-20)
- Captain for all four years, starting 82 of 88 games
- Scored five goals as a defender
- Finished first in the NPL with a 14-2 record in 2018
- Advanced to 2019 playoffs, finishing second in group stage
- Qualified for 2020 DA cup
- Trained with U.S. youth national team in 2016
- Son of Patty and Ismet Adnan with a younger brother, Zane
- Anticipates majoring in management science and engineering
- Hobbies include playing basketball, board games, video games, listening to music, watching the sunset, going to the gym and spending time with friends
Gunn on Adnan »Noah is a tremendously athletic central defender who has truly come of age this past year. Noah was a multi-sport athlete excelling at soccer and basketball before focusing fully on soccer, resulting in a special fluency and agility of footwork when called upon defensively. Noah has a commanding presence both in his individual play and as he organizes his team. He will be in the group that competes to take the place of graduating captain Tanner Beason.
Ryan Dunn • Huntersville, N.C. • Carolina Rapids Development Academy
- Prepped at Cox Mill High School in Concord, North Carolina
- Represented Carolina Rapids at the club level (2016-20)
- Carolina Rapids representative player for the 2018 Real Madrid Foundation select part of generation Adidas (2017-18)
- Current Stanford assistant Shane Carew served as Dunn's club director from 2009-12 in Huntersville, North Carolina
- Son of Kristyn and Richard Dunn with two younger siblings, Jessica and Sean
- Mother, Kristyn, played soccer at Duke as a midfielder (1991-95), serving as team captain from 1993-95.
- Father, Richard, played soccer at Duke as a midfielder and wide forward (1991-95), earning All-ACC honors as a junior in 1993
- Sister, Jessica, has verbally committed to playing soccer at Clemson
- Uncle, George Dunn, played soccer at Duke as a defender (1989-92)
- Aunt, Michele Woodside, played soccer at the University of Massachusetts as a forward (1989-92)
- Anticipates majoring in symbolic systems or computer science
- Hobbies includes reading, Frisbee golf, chess and traveling
Gunn on Dunn »Ryan is a tenacious, athletic defender who covers ground with such pace and ease closing attackers down. He is most comfortable playing as a full-back, but can also play as a center-back. Either way he relishes the job while keeping a remarkable consistency. Attacking wise, he makes surging overlapping runs and finds decisive passes as a full back.
Connor Evans • Portland, Ore. • Portland Timbers Academy
- Prepped at Central Catholic High School in Portland, Oregon
- Represented Portland Timbers Academy (2015-20) and Rose City Futsal (2015-18) at the club level
- Twelfth place in DA Cup (2020)
- Third place at World Futsal Cup in Barcelona, Spain (2017)
- Has served as Portland Timbers club captain at the U-14, U-17 and U-19 levels
- Served as Rose City Futsal captain in 2017
- Top XXII team for USA Futsal (2017)
- Has represented the United States at the youth futsal level (2019)
- Son of Mary and Mason Evans with younger siblings, Danny and Maggie
- Uncle, Mike McNeill, played for the Chicago Blackhawks in the National Hockey League
- Anticipates majoring in management science and engineering
- Biggest hobby is photography
Gunn on Evans »Connor naturally excels as a central midfield player, displaying a very clean, tight control of the ball. He has the touch and the passing range, to be equally as comfortable simply connecting the dots or spraying more adventurous balls. He has a phenomenal work rate that allows him to tirelessly search for the ball while both defending and attacking.
Eliot Jones • New Britain, Conn. • New England Revolution Development Academy
- Prepped at Hartford Magnet Trinity College Academy (Grades 9-10) and K12 International Academy (Grades 11-12)
- Represented New England Revolution at the club level (2016-20)
- U-14 International Champions Cup champions (2017)
- U-14 International Champions Cup Goalkeeper of the Tournament (2017)
- Has served as club captain at the U-14, U-15, U-17 and U-19 levels
- Has trained with the Revolution first team starting in 2017
- Inaugural member of the Revolution Academy Residency (2019)
- Has attended U.S. Soccer domestic training camps at the U-14 and U-16 level
- Appeared against Bosnia And Gerzegovina and Croatia at the U-14 level (2017)
- Competed in the Toerneo delle Nazioni in Italy (2018) with appearances against Macedonia, Croatia and Japan at the U-16 level
- Son of Aimee Pozorski and Jason Jones
- Anticipates majoring in mathematical and computational science with the contemplated post-playing profession as a data scientist
- Hobbies include hanging out with his dogs and graphic design
Gunn on Jones »Eliot is an excellent modern-day goalkeeper with the skill-sets to do very well in the college game. During his dominant academy career he has shown to be a very good shot stopper, while being brave in 1-v-1 situations and a commanding presence in the box. Eliot also distributes the ball with great composure allowing his teams to build with control and precision.
Conner Maurer • Levittown, N.Y. • New York Red Bulls Academy
- Prepped at General Douglas MacArthur High School in Levittown, New York
- Represented New York Red Bulls Academy at the club level (2013-20)
- Divisional champion, advancing to the U.S. Soccer DA playoff quarterfinals in 2018
- Semifinalist at 2017 Next Generation Trophy Tournament in Austria
- Placed third in 2017 Generation Adidas Cup champions division
- Has trained with the first team since 2019
- Trained and played with the NYRB II USL team since 2019
- Participated in two national team camps
- Son of Susan and Richard Maurer, with younger brothers, Jack and Logan
Gunn on Maurer »Conner has shown all of the attributes to become a top-class central defender. He is smooth and composed distributing the ball and facilitating reliable connectivity from the back four. Conner is a very confident and competent defender who relishes dispossessing opponents, displaying a truly rock solid mentality. In getting to know Conner, he also shows the type of stoic approach that we champion, quietly and humbly pursuing greatness.
Layton Purchase • Denver, Colo. • Real Colorado Development Academy
- Prepped at Kent Denver School in Denver, Colorado
- Two-time state champion (2017, 2019)
- Also played basketball and lacrosse in high school
- Represented Real Colorado Development Academy at the club level (2014-20)
- Three-time Colorado State Cup champion (2013-15)
- Qualified for U.S. Soccer DA playoffs (2016-17, 2019)
- Finished DA career with 31 goals in 97 total appearances
- Served as club captain during final three seasons with the club
- Son of Lara and John Purchase with a younger sister, Wynnie
- Anticipates majoring in economics or statistics
- Contemplated post-playing profession is that of a sports management analyst or data scientist
- Hobbies include skiing, surfing, basketball, tennis, wakeboarding, ukulele, golf and spending time with family and friends
Gunn on Purchase »Layton has played the majority of his minutes as a central midfielder, but his versatility makes him an option anywhere down the spine of the team. Layton has a wonderful touch on the ball that belies a player of his size and stature, perhaps following in the footsteps of "Pillow feet" Adam Jahn. He couples an effervescent personality and a really high compete level to inspire everyone around him.
Aiden Weaver • Elizabethtown, Pa. • Pennsylvania Classics
- Prepped at Elizabethtown Area High School in Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania
- Ran varsity track all four years, serving as team captain in 2017
- Competed for Pennsylvania Classics at the club level (2016-20)
- Leading scorer from 2016-20
- Same club as former teammate of Logan Panchot, Christian Pulisic, current Cardinal Ryan Ludwick and Stanford alums Brian Nana-Sinkam '17 and Drew Skundrich '18
- Represented the United States at the U-17 level in the Four Nations Tournament in Mexico City (2018)
- Son of Stephanie and Chris Weaver with a younger brother, Cohen
- Cousin, Allison Weaver, golfed at Murray State and Akron University
- Cousin, Talie Grynkewicz, played soccer at Millersville University
- Grandfather, Jim Weaver, pitched in the major leagues for the Cleveland Indians and California Angels
- Anticipates majoring in management engineering
- Hobbies include playing the violin, fishing and hiking
Gunn on Weaver »Aiden is a busy, energetic attacking player who constantly asks questions of opposing defenses. He has honed an exceptional technique with a turn of pace that makes him very dangerous as a 1-v-1 threat in and around the box. He is equally comfortable attacking from out wide or as an underneath striker, bringing a high level of confidence and composure to his creative play.