The goalkeeping class has promise, with two players in my top 20. Aidan Stokes has been considered a top prospect since his U-15 season, while Graham Syrett is an emerging talent who joined a professional academy for the first time this season. They are not the only two keepers with high potential. Jack Kortkamp from Sporting KC, Grant Leveille from D.C. United and William Lodmell from Sporting Lisbon could all end up being USMNT-level keepers.

The 2008 class pretty clearly has the best center-back group in the USYNT pool, with three players in my top seven in the class (James, Cupps and Hamouda) and two more in the top 20 (Chirila and Hall). Three of the six top 20 center-backs are left-footed. And this list does not include D.C. United's Nico Banks, who has loads of potential but nowhere to prove it at the moment because D.C. United does not have a second team. The odds would suggest that at least two of these guys make it to a pretty high level.

The full-back class is solid and could become even more compelling if a few dual-nationals fall the United States' way. The top full-back, Landon Emenalo, is an England Youth International and former U.S. Youth International. Emenalo can also play as a six. He is highly rated at Chelsea and has the looks of a future USMNT player if it doesn't work out with England. There are four more full-backs in the top 20: right-backs Oliver Tan, Brandon Dayes and Wesley Okoduwa, and left-back Matty Dos Santos.

The midfield is where this class is weakest, with only three players in the top 20. Jude Terry is the standalone top-level midfield prospect in this class. The other two are high-floor prospects in Cooper Sanchez and Cristiano Oliveira. Alex Shaw and Luca Moisa fell just outside of the top 20 for me and could provide USMNT depth in the future. Outside of Maxi Carrizo, who has fallen out of my top 20, there are not many attacking mids I'm excited about.

I've become a little less optimistic about the wide attacking group. Nimfasha Berchimas is the top winger in the class and has been since I started grading the class at the U-15 level. He is followed by a more emerging player in Gabriel Wesseh, a left-footed, inverted winger who I believe has a very bright future. Outside of those two, there are some players with good potential but clear limitations. Two players to keep an eye on are Gustavo Caraballo from Orlando City, who should be close to becoming U.S. eligible, and Ashert Artz, from Borussia Mönchengladbach, who has a ton of talent but has yet to put it all together. Eric Preston and Sean Baitinger are also intriguing prospects.

At striker, the class is led by Julian Hall, who is having a great season in MLS. The tier below is deep as well. Alexander Staff is a goal-scoring machine who has only played in Germany, and Austyn Jones is a vertical player who unjustly has fallen out of favor with both the Netherlands and the United States. Chase Adams dropped out of my top 20 but is still a quality striker.

The top domestic pool of players has done well in this class, and it could be augmented by some very high-quality, European-based players if they're able to win the recruiting battles down the road. The 2008 class has a chance to be the strongest class since the 2000 class if things pan out positively.

1. CF, Julian Hall, New York Red Bulls (↑3)
Hall is a strong, explosive center-forward with great agility who has developed into a reliable goal poacher with an intuitive sense for movement in the final third. His hold-up play and link-up ability continue to improve, and he can also receive in the channels and run at defenders one-on-one.

2. CB, Ian James, Sporting Kansas City (↑1)
James is a big, strong center-back who is physical in duels and clearly enjoys that side of the game. He takes his space on the ball and can find passes between the lines.

3. CM, Jude Terry, LAFC (↓1)
Terry is a technically sound center-midfielder with good size and very good agility who can carry the ball progressively through the middle of the park. He has a good passing range and touch, controls defensive zones reasonably well, and can produce a spectacular shot from distance.

4. CB, Christopher Cupps, Chicago Fire (↓3)
Cupps is a commanding center-back with very good size and strength, paired with enough mobility and speed to defend in a high line. He is an intelligent, composed defender and a great leader who distributes well, showing a good passing range out of the back.

5. W, Nimfasha Berchimas, Charlotte FC (↑2)
Berchimas is a lightning-quick winger with good balance and quick feet who brings flair and creativity when attacking one-on-one. He strikes the ball very well with both feet, presses willingly against the ball, and has a history of performing in big moments.

6. LB/DM, Landon Emenalo, Chelsea FC (↓1)
Emenalo is an extremely well-rounded defender who can play left-back, at the six, or at the eight, combining strength with good speed and agility. He is clean and efficient on the ball, simple but effective, and remains strong and reliable defensively.

7. CB, Ramiz Hamouda, Werder Bremen (↑3)
Hamouda is a tall, left-footed center-back with good mobility in space and the occasional flash of high-level 1v1 defending. He's very comfortable playing out of pressure and can spring transitions with his passing vision and range.

8. W, Gabriel Wesseh, Fredrikstad SK (↑8)
Wesseh has very good side-to-side quickness and moves with real cleverness on the ball, keeping it glued to his foot through traffic. He thinks quickky, operates in tight space effectively and shows great passing vision with a wide array of techniques and a strong left foot.

9. CF, Alexander Staff, Eintracht Frankfurt on loan to 1. FC Saarbrücken (↓3)
Staff is a center-forward with decent burst and agility who is reliable in hold-up play and bringing teammates into the phase. He has an incredible goal-scoring record, backed by sharp instincts in the final third.

10. CF, Austyn Jones, PSV Eindhoven (↑5)
Jones wins with speed and athleticism and shows great movement off the ball, running vertically and into channels to find the ball in the final third. He strikes the ball well and has a great goal scoring record.

11. CB, Andrei Chirila, FC Cincinnati (New addition)
Chirila has good size with decent mobility and is very comfortable on the ball. He's aggressive and physical in duels and plays with high competitiveness.

12. GK, Aidan Stokes, New York Red Bulls on loan to Brentford FC (No change)
Stokes has good size and athleticism with solid shot stopping and good flexibility. He gets down quickly to make saves, defends well with his feet, and is confident in possession with decent distribution.

13. CB, Jacob Hall, Chelsea FC (New addition)
Hall is left-footed with good size and strength and decent athleticism, showing good lateral movement and plus recovery speed. He's physical and aggressive in duels, especially in the air, and has ideas in tight spaces with good passing range and comfort on his right foot.

14. GK, Graham Syrett, Charlotte FC (New addition)
Syrett has all the tools: very good size, athleticism, lateral movement, flexibility, and reactions. He commands his box well and can distribute to all areas with both feet.

15. RB, Oliver Tan, Famalicão (New addition)
Tan has good burst and speed and plays with an attack-minded approach, overlapping and combining well with some 1v1 attacking value.

16. RB, Brandon Dayes, Louisville City (New addition)
Dayes is a bit of a tweener between right-back and center-back but brings value at both spots. He's very athletic with a great vertical jump, competent on the ball, a decently progressive passer, and a versatile defender.

17. RB, Wesley Okoduwa, Wolves (↓9)
Okoduwa is a right-back with an elite physical profile, combining great size, speed, and strength. He is stronger defensively at this stage and carries real lockdown potential, while on the ball his main value comes from running the channels and overlapping, where he provides decent service.

18. CM, Cooper Sanchez, Atlanta United (New addition)
Sanchez plays with good strength and balance and is fluid on the ball with a great technical foundation. He shows good passing vision and range and controls space reasonably well.

19. CM, Cristiano Oliveira, New England Revolution (↓4)
Oliveira has great size for the position with decent fluidity for his long frame. He's technically clean with good close control, ball security, and a good passing touch and vision.

20. LB, Matthew Dos Santos, New York Red Bulls (New addition)
Dos Santos is attack-focused and combines well, showing a good change of direction. He can deliver crosses and set pieces and shows some trickiness with his footwork and dribbling.

I have not had the opportunity to thoroughly scout the following players in the last 12-months. If you have full game film for any of these players from the last 12-months, please fill out the form below.

RB/CB, Victor Vandenbroucke (Gent), DM, Nathan Sanchez (Sevilla) and CF, Jelani McGhee (RB Omiya)