From June 17 to August 9, GoMatadors.com will present the top CSUN Moments from the 2023-24 sports season. Today, we celebrate the Matador men’s soccer’s Jamar Ricketts on his 13th overall selection at the MLS SuperDraft by the San Jose Earthquakes.
Ricketts was just the third Matador to ever be selected in the first round of the draft joining esteemed company in Matador greats Sean Franklin (fourth overall, 2008) and Daniel Trejo (14th overall, 2021).
A native of Montclair, N.J., Ricketts completed a sensational career with the Matadors last fall where he earned All-Big West First Team and United Soccer Coaches All-Far West Region Second Team honors. Ricketts led the Matadors with a career-best eight goals, five assists, 21 points, 23 shots on goal and 37 total shots. He finished the 2023 season leading the nation in shot on goal percentage at .622.
Ricketts’ best work perhaps came in Big West play where he found the net five times including a pair of game-winning goals. He earned two Big West Offensive Player of the Week awards as he wrapped up the year third in the conference in goals and points while ranking fifth in assists and sixth in shots.
From 2020-23, Ricketts lettered three seasons and improved his goal, assist and point totals in each season. He earned two All-Big West First Team selections in his career and was previously a Big West All-Freshman Team selection. Over the past two seasons, he was also placed on the United Soccer Coaches All-Far West Region team. In his CSUN career, Ricketts totaled 16 goals, 10 assists and 42 points while posting an impressive .548 shot on goal percentage.
Ricketts made his debut with San Jose on March 30, 2024, with 34 minutes of action against the Houston Dynamo FC.
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