Simone Jackson Bio
Simone Peyton Jackson (born January 28, 2003) is an American soccer player who plays as a forward for the Orlando Pride of the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL). She played college soccer for the USC Trojans from 2021 to 2024 and has represented the United States at the youth international level, including at the 2022 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup. Standing 5 foot 4 inches tall, she wears jersey number 80 for the Pride.
Early Life and Background
Simone Peyton Jackson was born and raised in Redondo Beach, California, to parents Ann-Frances McLyn and John Jackson Jr. She is the middle of three children in her family, and her brother John Jackson III later played wide receiver at the University of Southern California (USC) before being signed by the Chicago Bears. Her grandfather, John Jackson Sr., served on the coaching staff for the USC Trojans football team in the 1970s, giving the family a deep connection to the university.
Jackson grew up around sports. Her father, John Jackson Jr., is a sports commentator who played professional football and minor league baseball in the 1990s and also played both sports at USC. Jackson herself began playing soccer with an AYSO team at age four, the start of a long path that would eventually take her to the highest level of American women’s soccer.
She attended Bishop Montgomery High School in Torrance, California, where she played for the soccer, tennis, and track teams, and co-founded the school’s Black Student Union. She also played club soccer for So Cal Blues, winning the ECNL under-15 national championship in 2017, before moving to Slammers FC, where she was named ECNL All-American in 2019 and 2021. TopDrawerSoccer ranked her as the third-best recruit in her class, and she committed to USC as a freshman.
Path to Professional Soccer
Jackson joined the USC Trojans in 2021 and quickly made an impact in the Pac-12 Conference. In her freshman season she scored 5 goals and added 8 assists across 20 games, earning second-team All-Pac-12 honors. She also scored a late equalizer in a 2–2 draw against Penn State in the second round of the NCAA tournament, although USC ultimately fell in a penalty shootout.
Her sophomore season was interrupted by a call-up to the 2022 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup, but she returned to start the last 16 games of the year. She finished that campaign with 6 goals and 3 assists and was named first-team All-Pac-12. In her junior year she recorded 5 goals in 15 games for second-team All-Pac-12 honors, and as a senior in 2024 she posted 6 goals and 2 assists in 22 games, earning third-team All-Big Ten recognition while helping USC win its first-ever outright regular-season conference title in its first season in the Big Ten.
Even before finishing college, Jackson gained senior experience with LA Surf in the USL W League from 2021 to 2022 and later with Kansas City Current II in 2023, where she sharpened her professional game. She was also called up to the United States under-23 team in 2023 to play against NWSL competition during the preseason.
Simone Jackson Career
Early Career (2021–2023)
Jackson’s senior career began in 2021 with LA Surf, a developmental club in the USL W League, where she played through 2022 while balancing her college schedule at USC. The two seasons gave her a taste of senior-level play and helped her adjust to the physical demands of the professional game.
In 2023 she moved to Kansas City Current II, the reserve side affiliated with the NWSL’s Kansas City Current. The move connected her to one of the league’s top organizations and gave her a platform to compete in the USL W League while continuing her development. Her work at the club, combined with her college form and youth international experience, positioned her for a top-flight opportunity.
Orlando Pride Era (2025–Present)
Jackson was invited to train as a non-roster player with the Orlando Pride during the 2025 preseason, an opportunity that allowed the club’s staff to evaluate her up close. On May 29, 2025, she signed her first professional contract with the Pride, inking a deal that runs through the 2028 NWSL season.
She did not take long to make her mark. On September 2, she scored her first professional goal in the Pride’s first-ever CONCACAF W Champions Cup match, a 3–0 win over Alajuelense. The goal was a milestone moment for both player and club, announcing Jackson as one of the league’s promising young attackers.
Wearing number 80, Jackson joined an Orlando Pride squad aiming to build on its status as one of the NWSL’s rising teams. Her combination of college production, youth international experience, and early professional performances earned her a clear path into the rotation.
International Career
Jackson was first called up to the United States youth national team at the under-14 level in 2016, beginning a long progression through the U.S. program. She played friendlies at the under-15, under-16, and under-17 levels, though her U-17 World Cup was cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
When youth international play resumed, she helped the United States win the 2022 CONCACAF Women’s U-20 Championship, scoring six goals in six games, including four starts. She then represented the U.S. at the 2022 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup, where she scored in a 3–1 loss to Japan. The United States failed to advance out of the group stage, but the tournament gave Jackson valuable experience against senior international competition.
She has also represented the United States at the under-15, under-16, under-17, under-20, and under-23 levels, building one of the most complete youth résumés in her class. In 2025, she joined the U.S. under-23 team as she continued to balance club duties with international call-ups.
Notable Events and Milestones
Among Jackson’s signature moments is her role in the United States’ victory at the 2022 CONCACAF Women’s U-20 Championship, where her six goals led the team to the title. She also helped USC win its first-ever outright regular-season conference title in 2024, the program’s first year in the Big Ten. Her first professional goal, scored in the CONCACAF W Champions Cup on September 2, 2025, marked another milestone as the Pride competed in a new continental competition.
Simone Jackson Career Highlights
Major Achievements
Jackson’s trophy case includes the 2022 CONCACAF Women’s U-20 Championship with the United States, an ECNL under-15 national championship with So Cal Blues in 2017, and multiple All-American and All-Conference honors across her college career. She was a two-time ECNL All-American in 2019 and 2021, and a first-team All-Pac-12 selection in 2022.
Other Performances
Beyond her international and conference honors, Jackson helped USC reach the quarterfinals of the 2024 NCAA tournament and contributed to one of the strongest four-year stretches in program history. Her steady scoring in college, paired with a smooth transition to the NWSL, has positioned her as one of the most promising American attackers of her generation.
Simone Jackson Family
Family Background and Sports Lineage
Jackson comes from a family with deep ties to USC athletics. Her father, John Jackson Jr., played professional football and minor league baseball in the 1990s and also played both sports at USC. Her older brother, John Jackson III, played wide receiver at USC before being signed by the Chicago Bears, and her grandfather, John Jackson Sr., was a member of the USC Trojans football coaching staff in the 1970s. Her mother is Ann-Frances McLyn.
Personal Life
Jackson is the middle of three children, with her older brother John Jackson III and a younger sibling rounding out the family. She is focused on her early professional career with the Orlando Pride through the 2028 NWSL season, while continuing to represent the United States at youth international level. Public details about her life outside of soccer remain limited.
2025 Season Performance
Jackson joined the Orlando Pride ahead of the 2025 NWSL season after signing her first professional contract on May 29, 2025, a deal that runs through the 2028 season. She made the most of a quick transition from the college game, scoring her first professional goal in the Pride’s first-ever CONCACAF W Champions Cup match on September 2, a 3–0 win over Alajuelense.
Her role in the Pride’s continental debut gave her a national spotlight and reinforced her reputation as a clinical finisher inside the box. The combination of regular NWSL minutes and Champions Cup experience provided a strong foundation for her rookie professional season, and her youth international call-ups in 2025 suggest continued growth at the international level as well.
Heading into the rest of 2025, Jackson’s blend of speed, finishing, and big-game experience from the 2022 CONCACAF U-20 Championship and the U-20 World Cup gives the Pride another attacking weapon as the club competes on multiple fronts.
