Maryland midfielder Paul Torres is set to leave the Terrapins in order to explore professional opportunities, according to multiple sources.
Torres, a 19-year-old from Bethesda (Walt Whitman High), is coming off a sophomore season in which he had five goals and four assists in 21 appearances (seven starts) for the Terrapins (19-3-1), who won the ACC championship before losing to Michigan in the NCAA quarterfinals.
Because he was a member of the D.C. United youth academy, Torres is a homegrown D.C. United player in the eyes of Major League Soccer, but the club has no plans to sign him to the first team. Former Maryland defender Ethan White became D.C.’s first homegrown signing directly from college last winter. This summer, Torres has played for D.C. United’s first-ever under-23 squad.
Born in Venezuela, Torres’ best options abroad could be in Central or South America, but he could also pursue the lower professional tiers in the U.S. Neither avenue would affect his MLS rights, which remain with D.C. should Torres join the league in the future.
