The Charleston Battery are excited to announce the signing of All-League forward Cal Jennings to the 2025 roster on Tuesday, pending league and federation approval. Jennings is a two-time USL Championship All-League selection and has been a prolific scorer since debuting in 2020, with 70 goals and 16 assists across all competitions to his name.
Jennings, 27, joins the Battery as a free agent after spending the previous two seasons with the Tampa Bay Rowdies, where he amassed 34 goals and five assists in 64 regular season appearances.
Jennings’ success in Tampa Bay moved him to 12th place in the USL Championship’s all-time regular season scoring list with 65 goals in 123 appearances at a strike rate of a goal every 138 minutes.
“Your focus determines your reality and I have ambitions to win more hardware this year, I’m looking forward to getting to work with the Battery,” said Jennings. “I’m delighted that Charleston remained interested while I weighed my options in the offseason and preseason and that we were able to make a deal work. I learned firsthand over the past couple of seasons that this team is on the brink of multiple championships and I’m here to add to an already great cast of winners."
“The long history of the organization, along with their recent success in elevating players to bigger opportunities, makes it one I’m very excited to be a part of. To the Battery community, I’m here to make the most of what looks like a very promising year of goals, wins and trophies.”
Jennings was an All-League First Team selection in 2023, when he was runner-up for the Golden Boot and finalist for Player of the Year, and an All-League Second Team pick in 2024. In 2023, Jennings also became the fastest player to reach 50 regular season goals in league history, setting the record in just his 90th appearance.
Since debuting in 2020, Jennings has scored 66 goals in 126 matches in the regular season and playoffs in the USL Championship. Prior to the Rowdies, Jennings competed for Championship sides Memphis 901 FC and Las Vegas Lights FC (on loan from MLS side Los Angeles FC).
The forward reunites with Head Coach Ben Pirmann, who coached Jennings’ rookie campaign in Memphis in 2020.
“We are always looking to strengthen our squad and signing Cal helps our attacking corps and will provide us with a proven striker who has produced in our league,” said Coach Pirmann. “Cal is a striker who will impact our front line. He is quick and decisive with his movements and is always poaching around the opponent’s goal. We have a selfless squad that is ready to make an impact, and Cal is another piece of the puzzle as we continue to build. He understands the demands and our structure, and that will allow him to help this team from the get-go.”
Jennings joined Los Angeles FC in 2021 following his success with Memphis and was later crowned champion with LAFC in 2022 when the club won both the MLS Cup and Supporters’ Shield (regular season title).
A native of Roswell, Ga., Jennings played collegiately at the University of Central Florida and enjoyed a decorated career with the Knights. Jennings was a two-time All-American, three-time All-AAC selection, AAC Offensive Player of the Year, two-time regular season conference champion and led the NCAA in scoring in 2019. He was subsequently drafted by FC Dallas with the 17th overall pick in the 2020 MLS SuperDraft.
Jennings is looking forward to the next chapter of his career, highlighted by reuniting with the coach from his rookie season.
“I’ve always felt that Coach Pirmann and I had a unique connection and we grew in this league at the same time,” said Jennings. “Ben gave me my first real shot in the pros at Memphis and we built a strong relationship in a short amount of time there. In the back of my mind, I always believed we’d get another opportunity to work together but wanted to be patient for the right moment to reunite. It is evident that Ben and Lee Cohen brought in a new level of care and energy to an already great brand and community.”
Jennings will wear the number 26.
The addition of Jennings brings the Battery’s total number of players to 22. The club will continue to assess players and construct the roster in the build-up to the season opener on March 8 against Louisville City FC.
2025 Roster
Goalkeepers: Christian Garner, Daniel Kuzemka, Luis Zamudio
Defenders: Joey Akpunonu, Leland Archer, Langston Blackstock, Nathan Dossantos, Josh Drack, Graham Smith, Mark Segbers
Midfielders: Chris Allan, Johnny Klein, Houssou Landry, Aaron Molloy, Arturo Rodriguez, Juan David Torres, Emilio Ycaza
Forwards: Jackson Conway, Cal Jennings, Douglas Martínez, MD Myers, Zeke Soto
