If you were not mentioned in this article and feel you should have been, don’t stress. It’s very, very early in my evaluation process and much of this will change over this year and the next several years. Keep grinding and you will get your shine in due time. 

It’s looking like a pretty strong keeper class. It might not have the top end talent that the 2009s have, but I think it has more depth and is an overall stronger class than the 2008s. 

Connor Dale from Inter Miami is my top rated keeper so far, but Muyi Ajayi from NYCFC isn’t far behind. I have also really liked what I have seen from Jason Nemo from Chicago Fire. A few other names worth mentioning include Marcello Rosetti from Houston Dynamo, Colin Steele from LA Galaxy, Levi Williams from Inter Miami, Rami Daoud from NYCFC, Jackson Dale from Seattle Sounders and Kenan Lavadic from Philadelphia Union. 

Full-back classes typically look weaker earlier on because a lot of players move to full-back from other positions. Oftentimes the best full-backs are former wingers, so it’s not uncommon to see these groups look a little bleak. 

There are a couple of good, athletic and attack minded right-backs that should be very good youth national team players. Dominik Lester from FC Cincinnati is my favorite right-back at the moment, but I also appreciate Fred Bond from Atlanta United who can play both as a winger and right-back. Both of these players are currently playing up an age group with their respective U16 teams. 

Other players that have caught my attention and  am tracking closely include: Finn McCraney from Chicago Fire, Chris Thompson from Philadelphia Union, Victor Houston from Columbus Crew, Benjamin Lee from Orlando City, Patrick Boltz from Seattle Sounders and Brody Pierce from St. Louis City. 

Everything that I said above about right-back classes developing late applies here. The left-back group has a more clear number one, but U.S. Soccer is going to have to fight for him. Right now, left-back has less depth than the right-back group, though I already see some wingers that could move to left-back down the line. 

The clear number one to me plays for FC Barcelona’s academy. His name is Ahmed Abarkane and he moved from Girona to Barcelona this season. He is also eligible to play for Spain and Morocco, so the competition for him will be difficult. 

The top domestic left-back for me right now is Seyi Fakiyesi from Atlanta United. He currently plays for their U16 team. Other players that I am following closely at the left-back position include Olutobiloba Oyerokun from New York Red Bulls, Daniel Tagbo from Atlanta United and Richie Luong from Columbus Crew. 

There is a 2011 that has been getting 2010 camp invites and he may also become an option for the United States U15s. His name is Isaiah Fabunmi and he is already playing two years up for DC United’s U16s. 

I was really hoping for a top center-back class because we really have not seen one grade out as an A. I would put this center-back class below the 2008 and 2009 classes, which are strong, but may lack an elite prospect. 

The player I am most interested in is Nathan Tchoumba from Colorado Rapids. He plays both center-back and defensive-mid for their U15 team. He is a young 2010, born in November, and he is already around 6-1 and very athletic. It will be interesting to see if U.S. Soccer plays him as a CB or 6, or both. It’s early, but he looks like one of the highest ceiling players in this class. 

The other top center-back in this class is Jeremiah Munoz from Charlotte FC. He is playing for their U16 team and while he has had his ups and downs, he has loads of talent. Tchoumba and Munoz would be my ideal CB pairing if Tchoumba ends up playing CB for the USYNT U15s. 

If Tchoumba plays as a 6, I would slot in Landon Mulvenna from Philadelphia Union or Zion Salmon in at left center-back. Mulvenna doesn’t have the ideal center-back profile, but he is a bulldog defensively and is one of the best passers from his position. He shows great technique and is very comfortable with both feet. Salmon is a lefty and a little undersized, but athletic and shows decent passing ability. Another good option would be Owen Jorgensen from St. Louis City. He is also slightly undersized, but very good on the ball. 

There is some depth and intriguing players at center-back in this class. There are players that I could see turning into something special down the line, but are a little raw right now. That list includes: Dulani Rennie and Joshua Brown from Atlanta United, Dami Samuel from Houston Dynamo, Myles Johnson from Columbus Crew, Costantino Muscedere from NYCFC and Landon Born from FC Cincinnati. 

Some safer options that could probably do a decent job at the YNT level right now include: Mason Hopper, a lefty from Columbus Crew, Evan Emmenegger from Real Salt Lake, who can also play as a 6, and Mikel Akinmboni from DC United, brother of Matai. He is a right footed player that is fantastic on the ball with good size, but has issues defending in space. A few other options include Aric Mata from Portland Timbers. He has been with Mexico’s Youth National team already. Also, Christian Guillen from FC Dallas, Landon Mulvenna from Philadelphia Union, Jayden Gandu from Columbus Crew and Avery Rosado from RBNY. 

One player that I have not seen that could potentially really help this group is Miles Aalbersberg who is an apparent Dutch-American at the highly acclaimed Ajax academy in Amsterdam. He is a left-footed player that is likely to be very talented if he starts for Ajax’s academy. It will be interesting to see if he is selected to the first Dutch U15 team and if he is on U.S. Soccer’s early radar. 

The defensive mid class lacks depth, but similar to the full-back position, many players move to the 6 position from center-mid, attacking-mid and center-back. Nathan Tchoumba is the clear top 6 for me, but he may be used at center-back at times as mentioned above. 

Vicente Garcia is another top 6 and having him may allow U.S. Soccer to move Tchoumba to center-back where he is needed. Garcia is a Mexican-American that has been in many Mexican YNT camps. It has been reported by LA Galaxy’s academy that Garcia will be in the first U15 team camp coming up — that’s encouraging to see. 

I like both Jason Adeyemi, one of the top passers I have seen in this class, and Evan Coffing, both from Atlanta United. Other solid options include Lisandro Torres from LAFC, another Mexico YNT player, Jorge Salmeron from Columbus Crew, Ender Celiker from Orlando City, Simon Morell and Gael Huguet from FC Cincinnati and Collin Barnes and Maxwell Harwood from Minnesota United. 

The center-mid class is solid, but that solidity is heavily contingent upon a highly competitive dual national in Matthew Arana from Houston Dynamo. He is the clear number one box to box midfielder that can also play as a number ten. Arana has already been in Mexico camps and his recruitment may be difficult. It’s been rumored that he prefers Mexico. 

The next best option is Kamil Castillo from DC United. I really like his game and think he will be a fun player to watch for the United States. Jonathan Condor from RBNY and Aiden Byasilma from Nashville SC are also very quality options that I could see getting a call up. 

Other players I am currently tracking include: Carlos Pinto from DC United, Joshua Kwon from Atlanta United, Kai Hornung from RSL, Abdoulaye Diop from Philadelphia Union, Dylan Reyes from Houston Dynamo, another Mexico YNT player, and Ezra Mahteme from San Jose Earthquakes who could also be considered as a defensive-midfielder. 

The attacking positions are where this class shines and it starts with the number tens. Robert Turdean from Chicago Fire and Will Recupero, who recently moved from Boston Bolts to Stuttgart in Germany, are the only two 2010s to play up with the 2009s last year. Both are highly skilled, impactful attacking-midfielders that are expected to be leaders of this group. But they are not the only talented attacking-mids in this class. 

Juan Martinez is another very talented attacking-mid from LA Galaxy that can also play as a false nine. He is yet another player that has already played for the Mexican Youth National Team. LA Galaxy announced the two players that would be with the first United States U15 team camp and Martinez was not one of the two players — that was a surprise to me. At this age, that means one of three things, he either was not selected, picked up an injury or turned it down because he favors Mexico. Time will reveal what is going on here. 

There are a few other very talented tens as well, including Josh Jiminez who just moved from RBNY to FC Cincinnati, Morra Francois from Charlotte FC, Alex Hernandez from Colorado Rapids, Adin Fikic from FC Cincinnati.

In Europe, I am aware of two attacking-mids that could get a look at some point including Vinny D’Annunzio who is at Feyenoord’s academy in Netherlands and Anthony Applewhaite who is at Mainz’s academy in Germany.

I was a little worried about the winger class when I started studying, but it’s grown on me and I am now feeling pretty good about it. There are two top players that can play multiple attacking positions and very well could play wing for the United States. The first is Jamil Danjiji who is one of the top players in this class. The Columbus Crew attacker plays as both a winger and a striker and could interchange between both for the United States. The other is Da’vian Kimbrough who has been playing winger for Sacramento Republic’s U18s, but he also has experience as a striker and has shown the ability to play in central positions as well. Kimbrough is another high priority Mexican-American dual-national that has been playing with Mexico. 

Oscar Avliez from DC United is another top winger and top player from this class. He is playing up an age group with DC United’s U16s. He is a required selection from my perspective. After Danjiji, Kimbrough and Avilez, there is a group of talented wingers that U.S. Soccer has to choose from. 

I really like Josh Boney from Barca Residency, Theo Hallie II from FC Dallas, Eric Lodge from RBNY, who can also play as a striker, Bryce Goodwin from Charlotte FC, Brandon Velez from New England Revolution and Ikenna Chidebe from LA Galaxy. Chidebe was the other LA Galaxy player that was announced to be on the first U.S. U15 team. I really like Chidebe’s game, he is a quick, smart and skilled left-footed player who can play on both wings and in central positions. I could also see him working out as a left-back at some point. 

Overall, there is a good amount of talent here to be excited about. 

This is the best center-forward class I have seen since the 2007s and this class may turn out to be better. As discussed earlier, Danjiji and Kimbrough are top options that could play as strikers or wingers. The depth and quality at this position would allow both to play as wingers. 

Timoni Gbalajobi from Philadelphia Union looks like a completely different player this year. He played for the U15s last year, but he now looks so much more comfortable in his frame. He looks like a top five player in this class. You wouldn’t lose a whole lot starting him at striker instead of Danjiji or Kimbrough. 

It doesn’t stop there either. Apolo Marinch is a skilled and technical left-footed striker that is playing up several age groups for Columbus Crew’s U18s. I have heard he would only consider playing for a USYNT if he played up an age group, so I would not expect him to be in the first team camp. I don’t think he deserves to play for the U16s over players like Zidane Cadet or Malik Jakupovic. 

Jayden Kouadio is another Philadelphia Union striker I would love to see in a U15 camp. Like teammate Gbalajobi, he looks like a dynamic striker this season. It’s impressive that Philadelphia Union and Columbus Crew have four of the top strikers in this class. 

New York Red Bulls have three impressive strikers in Matthew Jean Baptiste, Jacob Priestley and the aforementioned Eric Lodge, who to me is more of a winger than a striker, but plays as a second striker in RBNY’s system. 

Sebastiao Nzita is another name to know from Houston Dynamo who often plays for Houston’s U18 team. He is a tweener who can play as a winger or a striker. I am also intrigued by Selwyn King from NYCFC who is currently out injured, but primarily played with NYCFC’s U15s last season. 

A few other players I am monitoring include Easton Wilson from RSL, Maddox Choate from Houston Dynamo and Michael Gomez from Chicago Fire who also appears to be out injured. 

There are some very strong 2010 classes and a lot of the talent from this age group is concentrated within several academies. The academies with the top 2010 classes from what I have seen so far include Atlanta United, Columbus Crew, FC Cincinnati, DC United, Houston Dynamo, LA Galaxy, New York Red Bulls and Philadelphia Union. 

Chicago Fire, Charlotte FC, Colorado Rapids, Orlando City, Real Salt Lake and St. Louis City also have solid classes, but not quite as strong as the group above. 

Austin FC, Sporting KC, LAFC, Minnesota United and Nashville SC look like pretty weak classes so far with only one or fewer potential youth national team level players. 

Tom Heinemann is expected to lead the U15s for the fourth year in a row. He is expected to call in his first roster soon, with an expected camp start date of October 13th. If I was in charge of choosing the first team, this would be my initial twenty two players. Because this is a domestic camp, I am not expecting any players from Europe to join. 

GK: Connor Dale (Inter Miami), Muyi Ajayi (NYCFC)
LB: Seyi Fakiyesi (Atlanta United), Richie Luong (Columbus Crew)
RB: Dominik Lester (FC Cincinnati), Fred Bond (Atlanta United)
LCB: Nathan Tchoumba (Columbus Crew), Zion Salmon (Inter Miami)
RCB: Jeremiah Munoz (Charlotte FC), Landon Mulvenna (Philadelphia Union)
DM: Vicente Garcia (LA Galaxy), Jason Adeyemi (Atlanta United)
CM: Matthew Arana (Houston Dynamo), Kamil Castillo (DC United)
AM: Robert Turdean (Chicago Fire), Juan Martinez (LA Galaxy)
LW: Oscar Avilez (DC United), Theo Hallie II (FC Dallas)
RW: Da’vian Kimbrough (Sacramento Republic), Ikenna Chidebe (LA Galaxy)
CF: Jamil Danjiji (Columbus Crew), Timoni Gbalajobi (Philadelphia Union)

The two European based players that would be in my twenty-two would be Ahmed Abarkane from FC Barcelona and Will Recupero from Stuttgart. 

We will get our first look at Tom Heinemann’s class preferences next week. I would expect an announcement on October 9th, 10th or 11th, with camp kicking off on the 13th.