Sporting KC’s latest homegrown player adds crucial depth at time when it’s most needed

Four years to the day since Jake Davis had moved to Kansas City, Peter Vermes pulled aside the 19-year-old midfielder during a practice session with the Sporting KC first team.

The teen was in the middle of a tough Sporting KC II campaign in the USL Championship. His mind was focused solely on Sporting KC II’s next game, against Indy Eleven.

Davis was signed to a hybrid deal: He’d play for SKC II for the remainder of the season and move up to the first team in January 2022.

So when Sporting KC coach Vermes told him he was planning on moving the youngster up to the first team now, it came as a surprise.

“I was shocked, but the work that I’ve done, I thought I’ve deserved it,” Davis said. “It’s a really good feeling and I think it’s a special moment for my family and me.”

Davis signed a Major League Soccer contract through 2023, with an option for 2024, on Thursday, becoming the 19th homegrown player to come from the Sporting KC Academy. He is also the 12th academy product on Sporting’s current roster.

Davis’ promotion to the first-team roster was a matter of when, not if. Since moving to Kansas City from Michigan when he was just 15 in 2017, he has progressed quickly up the ranks — from SKC’s academy through SKC II.

Playing as both a midfielder and right back, Davis has made 37 appearances for SKC II since the start of the 2019 season, tallying seven assists in 2,500 minutes.

A large chunk of that contribution has come in 2021. Through 17 games, Davis has provided four assists, a team-high 20 chances created and 47 tackles — 22 more than any other player on the team.

“We felt that now would kind of start his indoctrination into the first team on a regular basis,” Vermes said. “Hopefully we can continue to indoctrinate him and he can have maybe an impact here toward the second half of the season in some way.”

Davis’ sudden promotion halfway through the MLS season could mean the teenager will soon earn his debut. KC is on the back end of a brutal stretch of games that’s led to depth deficiencies in both the midfield and defense.

Roger Espinoza, the player who Vermes said Davis is most like, is in dire need of some rest. The sale of Gianluca Busio has left a hole in the midfield that’s yet to be filled by newly signed Jose Mauri, who’s still awaiting his passport. And homegrown Felipe Hernandez is away from the team for personal reasons.

Defensively, Jaylin Lindsey is out for an extended period of time with a hamstring injury, leaving Graham Zusi as the team’s right back.

Good thing Davis can play both positions.

“I think versatility is always a really good thing for any player that is in our team,” Vermes said. “I think no matter where he plays for us, it’s going to serve him well.”

Vermes used words like worth ethic and commitment multiple times when describing Davis on Friday.

“I didn’t want to make it sound like the work is done now,” Davis said. “Especially moving up, now it’s more work. I have to work even harder.”

This story was originally published August 20, 2021 at 3:36 PM with the headline "Sporting KC’s latest homegrown player adds crucial depth at time when it’s most needed."