In a vast country like the United States, even a state as big as California, there are many youth players that fly under the radar of coaches and scouts. For Isaiah Trejo, that was the case, but with a fantastic oversees experience, he has propelled to be known as one of the best players in the country.

The Cal Odyssey defender was part of Discover Europe, which provided an opportunity for players to match up against European talent. Now beginning his last year in high school, he has been noticed and is being heavily recruited – a fact not surprising to his coach.

“Isaiah is the kind of player that all teams would desire to have,” states Cal Odyssey Head Coach J.J. Wozniak. “He is an impact player that leads by example and has settled in as one of the best center backs in the country.”

With his unique awareness and physical strength, Isaiah has impressed many colleges around the country including: George Mason, UC Irvine, and Washington.

“He is incredibly technical and reads the game at an extremely high level,” added Wozniak. “He is organized from the back and if things break down, he is one the best one-on-one defenders around.”

But for Isaiah, the sport of soccer transcends the recognition.

“I like how soccer gets me out of everything,” explained Trejo. “When I play, it feel likes nothing else matters.”

The shock factor about Isaiah isn’t the fact that he has been playing since he was four, but that he has only been playing as a defender since he was 15.

“I was in a semi-final game for my youth team where our center back was red-carded,” says Trejo. “My coach told me that I was going to play as a defender in the next game, and I have been a center back since.”

It wouldn’t be fair to say that all he has played is center back since he was switched to defense. Part of the attraction of Isaiah’s play is his versatility he has in the backfield.

“While I played in Europe, I was placed all over the line, from the right to left back,” explained Trejo of his experience of going through Discover Europe. “However, I like the right back position because it allows me to go forward.”

Going forward will be his new goal this year as Isaiah plays high school soccer for the first time, in addition to his USSF Development Academy duties with Cal Odyssey. His reasoning is it will help him improve his offensive game, adding to the belief that Coach Wozniak already has of this five-star player.

“He biggest strength is that he is a complete player,” says Wozniak. “Knowing Isaiah and how hard he works, he will be playing beyond college and he will ultimately be with a professional club somewhere around the world.”