MLS Next Pro U18 Impact Rankings

Presthus had a brilliant year in MLS Next Pro and has shown that he is ready for a new challenge. He was awarded a professional contract for his success this season and I believe it turns into a homegrown deal in 2025. He has also earned a look from U.S. Soccer, but has not been given the opportunity yet. When will his time come?

John isn't a flashy player and he doesn't flash elite tools by any stretch of the imagination, but he is highly productive from midfield. 18 goal contributions says it all.

Davis was by far the most productive and effective young striker in MLS Next Pro. He recorded 17 goal contributions and had the second highest G+ grade of any U18 player. I don't believe Philadelphia is keen to sign him and have heard that Schalke has been in the mix, so we will see what he plans to do next season.

Joyner led all American U18s in MLS Next Pro with 15 goals, many of which came from the penalty spot. His production earned him his MLS debut and recently earned him a spot on the United States U19 team.

I will be honest, I have not studied Klein closely, but I need to because he had a very efficient and productive year and New England rewarded him with a professional contract. New England continues to do a great job with player development.

Olney has completed back to back impressive seasons in MLS Next Pro and it is clearly time for him to take the next step. He backed a four goal, nine assist campaign in 2023 with a six goal and nine assist campaign in 2024. He continues to get overlooked by U.S. Soccer and it is starting to feel like Philly is overlooking him a bit too. What's going on here?

Rick was one of the most effective young goalkeeper in MLS Next Pro and he also earned six first team starts in MLS. His shotstopping in particular was very impressive. He recently earned a selection to the United States U19 team.

Brunell is another highly productive, but not so flashy midfielder that put together a very solid season. He contributed to eight goals and was effective in progressing the ball and making disruptive plays against the ball.

Hawkins is the top center-back on this list after a very good second season in MLS Next Pro. He continues to be a highly reliable player in distribution and he became more of a defensive playmaker this season. If he can add a little strength, he might be ready to contribute to the first team in the next year or so.

I continue to question Ramos' long term profile and position, but the kid just continues to produce and at some point I'll have to concede my position if he keeps doing it. Ramos had eight goals and four assists and always seems to find ways to impact the game. He never dominates, but he always seems to be in a dangerous position and he is potent in front of goal.

Adu-Gyamfi is a really interesting player and story. He always flashed potential at the academy level, but was never truly thought of as one of the top guys in the academy. He is starting to play some wing-back and I think that could be a really good position fit for him long term. 14 goal contributions is nothing to sneeze at.

FC Dallas poached Garcia from El Paso last year and he has become a quality signing for North Texas. He scored seven goals from the midfield this year and looks like a player that FC Dallas might bring on to the first team in the near future.

Baiera is one of my favorite right-back prospects in the United States youth pool. He has such a well rounded game and he produces wherever he goes. I think he is close to being ready to contribute to the first team, but there is a logjam at right-back and it's going to create some problems in the next couple of years if they don't figure it out.

Rogers had a solid year for Crew 2 and is interesting evaluation. He is extremely good on the ball, but he is probably too small to play center-back in MLS, especially in a four-back system. He might be able to pull it off in a three/five back system.

Randell is one of the youngest players on this list and continues to develop into a very intriguing player. The goal contributions didn't come as frequent as you would like to see from an attacker, but he shows dynamic ability in 1v1 situations and I think the goals will come as he gets more comfortable in the final third. Randell was awarded a pro deal this season and should become a homegrown in the near future.

Rosborough is one of only two 2008 born players on this list and the third youngest overall. He got off to kind of a slow start this season, but finished very well with seven goals and four assists overall. He fits the RBNY system perfectly with his relentless engine against the ball and his ability to play in the half space as a second striker.

Hall is the second most talented player on this list and second youngest. He has split his time between the first and second team for the majority of the season. He has scored two goals and added an assist on the first team and six goals and another assist on the second team. I would not be surprised if he is exclusively with the first team next season and it appears that his academy career in large part is done.

Bombino had a really solid year for LAFC 2 and it justifies why he continues to be brought back to the United States U20 team. He isn't the most dynamic player, but he is tough, hard working and he gets the job done. He is probably still a year or two away from being ready for the first team, but MLS Next Pro is also probably not the right level for him. This is a common problem in the American soccer landscape. What's next for him?

Chirila started his MLS Next Pro career with a bang with six goal contributions in his first five games. He cooled off a bit after that, but was the most productive striker from the 2007 class. This continues to be his story — not the most acclaimed striker prospect, but always produces.

It's pretty impressive to see Sullivan on this list. He is by far the youngest player on the list and the youngest player to play in MLS Next Pro this year. And he didn't just play, he produced. He contributed to eight goals in just over 1,100 minutes and was particular dangerous as a dribbler and passer. He will probably split time between MLS Next Pro and MLS next season, but it will probably start to skew more and more towards MLS. For the most part, I think he has graduated from Philadelphia's academy as a U15/U16 player — pretty incredible.