Kayla McCoy, Forward, Eclipse Select SC
Class: 2015
Top 150 Ranking: 1

A torn ACL has forced highly rated forward Kayla McCoy to put her college recruiting search on the back burner for the moment.

“I am still very early in the recruiting process, and because of my recent injury, recruiting had been put on hold,” she told TopDrawerSoccer.com. “I don’t know what impact my injury will have on my recruiting, but my parents think that some schools will back off and that I should focus on the ones that are still interested and committed to me now.”

Despite the setback, McCoy has some familiarity with the recruiting process that is helping her at this moment, as she has a sister who played basketball in college. So she was able to already see up close the nuances of it, what to look for, and how to best go about the search.

That said, injury aside, she’s still going to keep the search process going when she can.

“I would like to make a few visits this year, but I also plan to attend a few games,” she said. “Watching games gives me an idea of the team’s style of play and allows me to watch how the players and coaches interact.”

Of course, because of her injury, it leaves her status with some of the top programs up in the air. She’s stopped by a couple of Big Ten programs and seen another ACC program up close, as she parses through her options that are all of a sudden somewhat limited.

It also means she’s not going to rush through the process. She still has a long road ahead of recovery ahead of her after surgery in August. Right now, the main goal is to work on getting healthy and back playing for Eclipse before worrying too much about her college choices.

“Right now, I am focusing on rehab and being able to return to the field stronger and better than ever and helping my team,” she said. “I cannot imagine being able to commit until the late part of my junior year.”