USF head men's soccer coach Eddie Soto announced the signing of three student-athletes to national letters of intent, Santiago Sarmiento, Seamus McLaughlin, and Bar Twito, all three of whom will be freshmen in the fall.
 
Sarmiento is a left back who helped Montverde Academy win three national championships. Sarmiento also trained for a month in Italy with AC Milan's youth academy and played with the Boca Juniors Academy in Bogota, Columbia. He picked USF because he liked the location, the way the team played and the coaching staff.

 

"To land a recruit like Santiago from the prestigious Montverde Academy is a huge pick up for USF," Soto said. "Santiago has a great engine with the ability to be a box-box player. His technical ability along with his professional approach on and off the field exemplifies the type of player we strive to have around our culture. We couldn't be more excited that Santiago will be joining our Dons family come this fall." 
 
McLaughlin is a 6-foot-3 center back who has played for Sacramento Republic Academy since 2015. He helped Sac Republic make the 2015-2016 USSDA playoffs in their first season in the developmental academy. McLaughlin has participated in the Nor Cal PDP program for four seasons, and has trained in Ireland with Coleraine FC. He was also recruited by Portland, Santa Clara, Cal State Fullerton and Cal State Northridge. 
 
"I chose USF because I love the city," McLaughlin said. "Eddie seemed very motivated and excited to get USF back to what it used to be and I wanted to be apart of it. "
 

"Seamus has been a player we have followed for the last two years and we are excited he's following his heart to come and be a Don this coming fall," said Soto. "His development these past two years has helped him grow so much that his impact will be felt immediately within our back line. Coming from Sac Republic, we know he will be well-educated and well-prepared for the daily demands of our program. We welcome you, Seamus, and look forward to working with you both on and off the field."

Twito graduated from Mosinzon High School in Israel where he helped his team win the 2013 Israel high school championship. He was a member of Israel's U17 National Team, participating in numerous matches and training camps. Twito also played competitively with Hapoel Ramat Hasharon and Hapoel Afula in the Liga Leumit, Israel's National Second League. Immediately upon graduation, Twito was drafted into the Israeli Army where he served his mandatory time. 

 

"We are thrilled to have added Bar to our class for this coming fall," commented Soto. "His experience and leadership will be felt immediately. Bar's versatility makes him a huge addition to an already great class. He will fit in perfectly with our brand and system, which we were looking for. Bar will be a player who comes in and hits the ground running. We couldn't be happier that he has chosen to be a Don."

The three newcomers mark the first signees in a class that will continue to grow over the course of the spring with more commitments coming in. They will join a Dons squad in the fall expecting to return seven seniors, eight juniors and eight sophomores.