Jordan Igwenma spent his senior year of high school worried a foot injury would change his soccer abilities forever. Now he’s playing a key role on the highest-scoring team in college soccer.
Igwenma broke the fifth metatarsal bone in his foot during his senior year at Creighton Prep, sidelining him for most of the season. However, doctors cleared him on June 1 and he returned to the pitch in time to put together a strong offseason with the Creighton men’s soccer, enough to earn a starting role as a freshman for No. 12 team in the nation according to the United Soccer Coaches Poll.
“I always would question if I would be the same player when I was back,” Igwenma told Hurrdat Sports. “I just had to put my faith in God and put the work in.”
Igwenma worked hard and has helped the Bluejays to a 5-0-1 start to the 2026 season as the team’s third-leading scorer. He credits head coach Johnny Torres for helping the team stay hungry.
“I think we always want more goals, more assists, and at the end of the day we all just want to win,” Igwenma said. “So it’s been really good as we’ve done it as a collective.”
The Bluejays lost their first exhibition game 3-1 to Missouri State and played Kansas City to a scoreless draw in their other preseason match. Once the regular season began, however, they flipped a switch and haven’t dropped a match since with a 1-1 draw against Drake the lone neutral result. Creighton currently leads the nation in goals (22), assists (30), assists per game (5.00) and points (74). The Jays’ 5-0-1 start is also their best since 2015, when they won 15 consecutive games, and includes their most goals scored since the 1994 season.
Igwenma said Torres has helped him and the team a lot.
“He’s almost like a father figure for me,” Igwenma said. “He’s a great motivator, he never lets us get our heads too big, and he always just wants us to be dogs, as he puts it.”
The Creighton Prep graduate has done his part to help the team. He’s racked up four goals, three assists and 11 points while posting a .308 shooting percentage.
Igwenma said he thinks he’s done well offensively and defensively.
“My teammates do a really good job getting me the ball,” Igwenma said. “We’ve worked on a lot of movements and whatnot in the attacking third, so I think that’s helped me a lot.”
The transition from high school soccer to college wasn’t easy for Igwenma, though. He had to adjust to faster competition and a higher level of play. He did so quickly.
“The captains, they’ve done a really good job helping me settle in,” Igwenma said. “I think once I started understanding more, it was more of I just have to go back out there and play.”
Igwenma said he believes Creighton’s culture has helped the team play well early on. The Bluejays are led by the seniors and team captains who push their younger teammates every day.
“It’s super competitive,” Igwenma said of the team’s culture. “All 29 guys are capable of playing, and I really think we do a good job to stay on our feet, whether you’re going to go in or not.”
Igwenma arrived at Creighton this summer. He also received offers from Omaha, SMU and Wisconsin, but chose the Bluejays because of the culture and coaches.
“They really showed lots of interest,” Igwenma said. “They would come to a lot of my games, and I would talk to them 20 minutes after my games. Obviously, it being Jesuit as well, coming from Prep, that worked well with my religion, even though I’m Catholic. And then the academics as well I wanted to keep high to get a good degree.”
The Omaha native said it means a lot representing his hometown in the process.
“I feel like a lot of people kind of mess around and disrespect Omaha, and sometimes they won’t even know what it is,” Igwenma said “They’ll just talk about corn, so it means a lot. I really just want to play for the people in the city and show them that there’s a good team around here.”
Creighton will continue preparing for its next game while Igwenma works on his technique and decision making.
“Everything’s faster, and you really have to adapt,” Igwenma said. “So I really hope to improve those things.”
The Bluejays welcome Saint Mary’s to Morrison Stadium on Thursday. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. CT on ESPN+.
