A U.S. youth international and cornerstone piece of the LA Galaxy Academy is heading north.

Defender Kelee Cornfield-Saunders committed to join Portland with the class of 2018, a source confirmed to TopDrawerSoccer.com.

Cornfield Saunders is one of the top defenders expected to go the college route in 2018, and is the No. 43 ranked player in the Boys IMG Academy Top 150 for his class.

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Over the past few years, Cornfield-Saunders has been in and out of the picture for the U.S. Under-17 Men’s National Team. He made the roster for the 2015 Nike Friendlies, and traveled to Mexico City with the team in August 2016.

The 2018 recruiting class is coming together nicely for the Pilots, as Cornfield-Saunders joins Jake Arteaga, Jamison Gunhus, RJ Stretch and Gregory Tracey as verbal commitments for next year.