Jay Chapman put pen to paper on a contract with Toronto FC this Thursday, ensuring the Campbellford, ONT. native will begin his professional career with his hometown club.
Travis Clark of TopDrawerSoccer.com broke down Chapman's junior season with the Michigan State Spartans, and what we can expect from the Canadian down the road.

After two solid seasons for Michigan State, Jay Chapman made the leap in 2014.

Always a promising central midfield prospect for the Spartans during his first two years playing NCAA soccer, Chapman showed flashes as a creative attacking, central midfielder in 2012 and 2013. A hat trick against Indiana during his freshman year teased his talent, making box-to-box runs and finishing chances in and around the box. His sophomore year he was good for long stretches of the season, earning First Team Big Ten honors at the end of the 2013 campaign.

Something clicked for him in 2014, and he was one of college soccer’s best players. Named the Big Ten midfielder of the year, TopDrawerSoccer.com Second Team Best XI and an NSCAA All American, Chapman showed elite talent and was quite possibly the best midfielder in the NCAA. The numbers weren’t gaudy, with just six goals and six assists, but watching him it was easy to see the quality.

A bright prospect for Canada’s U17 team prior to college, Chapman is an attacking central midfielder who can use both feet to connect the ball all around the field. Maybe not a classic, out-and-out No. 10 who would play immediately behind the strikers, Chapman is able to make plays on the ball with his passing ability and vision. He showed time and time again the ability to receive the ball in dangerous positions in front of the opposition back lines and slip teammates through on goal. He can also run at defenders, beating them off the dribble – a comparison could be made to New England Revolution midfielder Kelyn Rowe.

Now makes perfect sense for him to make the leap to the pro ranks, as he’s shown the ability to dominate the NCAA level. Returning to school risks injury in the truncated season, while there’s little left for him to prove outside of an NCAA tournament title. He’s shown durability the last three seasons as well, playing a total of 63 games during his time in East Lansing.

There are obvious things he’ll need to prove in MLS – he’s got decent quickness and athleticism, but adjusting to the speed of play in the middle of an MLS midfield is high on the list of what he’ll need to do in order to log playing time in 2015. Can he make the same passes, beat defenders off the dribble when the level is higher? The addition of a Toronto FC USL Pro team for this season is good for someone like Chapman, ensuring that he will get playing time somewhere if he can’t crack to the lineup right from the start.

Based off the history of a player’s jump from college to MLS, it’s hard to also see him dropped in as a No. 10 at that level right away. He’ll need to show the ability to defend well and on a regular basis if he’s thrust into more of a box-to-box role, but all that depends on where head coach Greg Vanney sees Chapman fitting in best on the field.

There’s one thing that’s for certain: Toronto FC fans should be very excited about the possibility of seeing Chapman in a midfield alongside Michael Bradley and Jonathan Osorio at some point down the road.

Feature Photo via Jonathan Yales/MSU Impact Sports