Orlando City Loans Jack Lynn to San Antonio FC

Orlando City announced this afternoon the loan of 2022 first-round MLS SuperDraft pick Jack Lynn to San Antonio FC of the USL Championship. The loan will last until the end of the 2022 season, but the club retained the right to recall the forward.

“Jack has done really well with us this season and has shown us a nose for goal, high potential, and a strong work ethic,” Orlando City Executive Vice President of Soccer Operations and General Manager Luiz Muzzi said in a club press release. “We’re excited about the opportunities of this loan for Jack to get even more competitive minutes and experiences in this last portion of the 2022 season.”

The Lions selected Lynn with the 18th overall selection of the 2022 MLS SuperDraft out of Notre Dame. The club signed the St. Louis native to an MLS contract on Feb. 16. While the forward has seen some minutes with the first team, his time on the field has been sparse. Lynn has been on the bench for the first team 13 times in all competitions this season but has only been on the field for four minutes in three different games. However, he hasn’t been on the first-team team sheet since July 13.

Lynn’s made his impact for the club this year with Orlando City B, the club’s third-division developmental team in MLS NEXT Pro. The rookie has made 18 appearances for OCB, with 17 starts, and scored 15 goals and added four assists. His 15 goals rank third in MLS NEXT Pro and are the most in a single season for an OCB player in the five-season history of the team.

What It Means for Orlando

This loan is similar to the loan of Homegrown Player Wilfredo Rivera, who was sent to Indy Eleven in July. Both players were playing at a higher level than MLS NEXT Pro and moving to a USL Championship side, the nation’s second division, provides further opportunity for growth. The primary difference between Lynn and Rivera is that Lynn has been in the first team on game days. As a result, it was more difficult to send him away.

Lynn seems to have the highest ceiling of all players drafted by Orlando City over the past two years. He’s been excellent with OCB and the fact that he’s made the bench 13 times for the first team indicates that the club sees a future for the 22-year-old at the club.

Since he’s only played four minutes in three games this year, Lynn hasn’t made a big impact on the first team. The forward position has been a problem for the Lions at times during the 2022 season, especially when Ercan Kara was out with injuries, but Lynn wasn’t going to be the answer down the stretch. So this loan makes sense as he should get quality minutes at the second-highest level available in the United States. If the club needs to, it can also recall the forward back to Orlando.