Nate Jones (soccer)

Nathaniel Jones (born August 23, 2001) is an American professional soccer player who plays for Major League Soccer club Colorado Rapids.

Early life
Jones began playing youth soccer in local Gig Harbor leagues in his hometown, before joining the Harbor Premier and later Washington Premier FC.

Jones attended Gig Harbor High School, where he earned All-League, All-County and All-State honors, while playing for the soccer team.

College career
In August 2019, he committed to attend the University of Washington to play for the men's soccer team in the fall of 2020. He made his collegiate debut on February 4, 2021 against the Northwest Eagles and made his first start on March 20, 2021 against the Stanford Cardinal. On October 21, 2022, he scored his first collegiate goal against the Oregon State Beavers. In his junior season, he helped the team win the Pac 12 title and at the end of his junior season, he was named to the All-Pac-12 Second Team. Ahead of his senior season, he was named to the All-Pac 12 Preseason Team, and at the end of the season, he was selected to the All-Pac-12 First Team. After the season, he was invited to attend the MLS College Showcase.

Club career
In 2022, he played with the Crossfire Redmond in the National Premier Soccer League.

In 2023, he played with Vermont Green FC in USL League Two, appearing in nine matches. At the 2024 MLS SuperDraft, he was selected in the first round (fifth overall) by Austin FC. However, his rights were immediately traded to the Colorado Rapids in exchange for $250,000 in General Allocation Money. In January 2024, he signed a professional contract with the Rapids. He also spent some time with the second team, Colorado Rapids 2, in MLS Next Pro, making his professional debut on March 17 against St. Louis City 2.