Junior midfielder Kyle Evans is leaving Marist and forgoing his final year of eligibility to attempt to play professionally.
“After three years at Marist University, I have decided it’s time to achieve my dream I’ve had for 15 years, and that’s to sign my first professional contract,” Evans said in a video on his TikTok account. “I felt it was time for me to take a risk and go for it all.”
Evans had a strong third season with the Red Foxes, scoring seven goals, assisting on four, and earning a First-Team All-MAAC selection.
In the video, Evans explains that he is withdrawing from college soccer and is going to train with the goal of signing a professional contract. Before coming to Marist, Evans was previously at the New York Red Bulls Professional Academy, where he played for seven years.
This loss is colossal for Marist, which posted an 8-4-4 record in 2025 and missed the playoffs. Evans started in all 16 games and was a key orchestrator on offense.
Over his three years at Marist, Evans put up 23 total points in 42 games (all of which he started) and was an All-MAAC Third-Team selection during his sophomore year, as well as a MAAC Offensive Player of the Week in 2025 after a two-goal, five-point performance against Quinnipiac.
Evans broke his ankle in the spring of 2024, after his freshman season, and scored once while assisting thrice in his sophomore year.
Evans, who is 20 years old, is choosing not to declare for the MLS Draft for the time being, which is the most common path for collegiate soccer players who are not signing professional contracts with teams abroad.
It is true, however, that a player is not required to enter the draft to sign a contract with an MLS team. It is unclear what level Evans is looking for and/or negotiating with.
Looking ahead, Marist will now need to readjust and play without Evans and junior midfielder Arion Ulaj, who announced he is entering the transfer portal after a season in which he added a pair of goals to his team-high five assists.
In his TikTok video, Evans shared that he will be detailing his journey in that process on his account, @Kylefooty. He has already amassed over 15,600 followers on his account, on which he frequently posts highlights and other videos related to his career in Division I soccer.
Edited by Ben Leeds
Photo from Marist Athletics
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