Prescott is the top goalkeeping prospect in the class. Born in New York to an American father and German mother, raised in Germany, and now at Bayern Munich's academy, he's seen as Germany's next big keeper. The US is the underdog in that battle. Tobias Szewczyk is the other quality keeper prospect, a tier below Prescott but still one of the better options in the pool.

Center back lacks elite talent but has depth. Tyson Espy is the top rated CB, followed by Astin Mbaye, Ethan Degny, and Inter Miami's Rondell "RJ" Wright, son of former MLB player Rondell White. All four have real skill but each has one key facet of their game still needing work.

Full back has slipped from being a class strength. Prince Forfor, a converted attacker now playing left wing-back, is the top rated option, with Nash Dearmin and Jack Francka rounding out the top 20 at right back.

Midfield has a chance to be special. Sullivan and Mehmeti lead the group, joined in the top ten by KK Spivey, a box-to-box ten with the range to play as an eight, and Noa Ojea Cobiella, a Belgian dual national with electric final-third ability and a bold, flair-driven style. Behind them is Hoffenheim's Lukas Bruegmann, a former Houston Dynamo Academy product who is physical and technically sound, capable of dictating play from deep and winning duels in the middle third.

The winger class hyped me up at U15 but has cooled since. Mathis Albert is the clear top prospect, and his move from LA Galaxy to Dortmund supercharged his development into a potential World Cup contributor in 2030. Myles Gardner has emerged as a key youth national team piece who can play right wing or right back, with Alex Freeman-level upside if he ends up at right-back. James Edward Wumah, a Norwegian-American at Girona, is a newcomer worth watching: a left-footed attacker with flair and creativity who impressed against Brazil, though his final third efficiency needs work and his commitment to the US over Norway is still an open question. Makai Wells also stands out for the technical cleanliness of his game.

The striker pool is top-heavy. Philadelphia Union's Malik Jakupovic, a Bosnian-American, is the clear top prospect, followed by Van Parker, who is provisionally cap-tied to Canada and may be tough to flip given Canada's early investment in him. Beyond those two, there isn't much else close to their level.

This class is all about star potential. The depth has thinned with age, but there's enough at the top for this to be one of the best US classes in history, potentially rivaling 1998, which gave us two top-five-all-time players in Christian Pulisic and Weston McKennie.

1. AM, Cavan Sullivan, Philadelphia Union (No change)
Sullivan's biggest weapon is his unrelenting confidence and belief that he can make the difference. He sees things most players don't, pairing creative flair with a potent left foot, while his strong frame and low center of gravity give him great change of direction. He's a rare player that has been considered an elite prospect for a long time, but has also always had a great work rate.

2. DM, Adri Mehmeti, New York Red Bulls (↑4)
Mehmeti has elite leadership qualities and a mentality that stands out on the field. He shows a special understanding of the game, playing quick, simple, and almost always positive with the ball, and his good size and strength make him effective in his defensive duels.

3. W, Mathis Albert, Borussia Dortmund (↓1)
Albert has a relentless engine and excellent work rate, using both feet very well to make plays for himself and his teammates. He shows good creative instincts attacking defenders 1v1 in both directions, attacks relentlessly, and is more efficient in the final third than most wingers his age.

4. GK, Leonard Prescott, Bayern Munich (No change)
Prescott has ideal size with good lateral quickness and sharp hand reflexes, paired with elite distribution skills that are remarkably advanced for his age.

5. AM, Noa Ojea Cobiella, RSC Anderlecht (New addition)
Ojea Cobiella is explosive in tight spaces and bold and brave on the ball. He makes good things happen in the final third with his dangerous left foot.

6. CF, Malik Jakupovic, Philadelphia Union (↓3)
Jakupovic is likely the highest-ceiling striker in the youth pool—a tall, rangy, left-footed number nine with good feet and a knack for scoring.

7. CB, Tyson Espy, Orange County SC (No change)
Espy has a unique blend of size, pace, mobility, ball control, and defensive instincts, and he’s excellent at breaking pressure and taking space intelligently.

8. CM, Lukas Bruegmann, Hoffenheim (New addition)
Bruegmann has excellent size and strength and has shown improved mobility and fluidity in his game. He has good spatial awareness and scans effectively, controls the ball well, and is a progressive passer who can strike it from distance with his left foot.

9. CM, Kaedren "KK" Spivey, San Jose Earthquakes (↓4)
Spivey has as much raw talent as anyone in his class, with a rare blend of size, athleticism, technical skill, and ball-winning ability that could enable him to be a high level midfielder if he can put it all together more consistently.

10. CF, Van Parker, Real Salt Lake (New addition)
Parker is a load to handle in the open field thanks to his combination of pace, power, and agility. He does his best work running at or behind backlines and has consistently been a diverse goal scorer.

11. W, Myles Gardner, Houston Dynamo (↓2)
Gardner has an enviable size and speed profile for a wide player. He delivers good service in a variety of ways, plays well in combination, and shows a good instinct to relocate after passing. He's improving technically with flashes of good 1v1 ability and is very disruptive off the ball, making him a potential high-level right back down the road.

12. W, Edward Wumah, Girona (New addition)
Wumah plays as an inverted right-winger who loves to cut in on his left foot. He is very shifty, using various hesitation moves to unbalance defenders and he is direct and brave when he gets on the ball. I like his incessant desire to get the ball to his feet.

13. LB, Prince Forfor, Columbus Crew (↓4)
Forfor is one of the fastest players in the youth pool and he uses that athleticism well in his one-on-one defending. He uses that pace to overlap in the final third and can find a good cut-back pass when the opportunity presents itself.

14. GK, Tobias Szewcyk, New York Red Bulls (↓3)
Szewcyk is a very good shot stopping keeper with decent size, explosiveness, coordination, flexibility, reflexes and hand strength. He is also highly capable on the ball, with the ability to accurately place balls with both feet with good range.

15. CB, Ethan Degny, Nice (↓3)
Degny has the ideal combination of side, recovery speed and mobility to play center-back in a setup that puts CBs on an island. He is strong in both ground and aerial duels and is consistently showing anticipation and alertness. He is steady, but unspectacular in distribution.

16. CB, Astin Mbaye, AC Milan (New addition)
Mbaye is a towering presence with improving mobility. He is a proactive passer with good vision, and his positional discipline and level of disruptiveness are improving.

17. W, Makai Wells, New England Revolution (↓4)
Wells is a smooth and technically clean attacker with a great first touch, advanced footwork and high level close control. The biggest question in his game is whether he has enough burst to be consistently effective out wide against high level defenders.

18. CB, Rondell “RJ” White, Inter Miami (New addition)
White continues to improve at an exciting rate. He has always had high level physical tools and flashes of high level passing ability, but he is starting to become more consistent in his decision making and defensive responsibility. He has good close control for a defender and uses that to buy time while under pressure. His recovery speed and agility to defend in space allow him to play in high lines.

19. RB, Nash Dearmin, Inter Miami (New addition)
Dearmin’s super power his his blazing quickness and speed which he uses to join the attack on the flanks. He has more 1v1 ability than most full-backs his age and can unsettle defenses. His athleticism and determination also make him an above average 1v1 defender.

20. RB, Jack Francka, Sporting Kansas City (New addition)
Francka is still fairly new to the right-back position and continues to get better and better with more reps. He has a very good size and speed profile for the position and pairs that with excellent service and set play delivery. He has the defensive tenacity and work rate you want to see in a full-back.

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, Alessandro John Altruda (Bologne), AM, Cristiano Briceño (Atletico Madrid), W, Jordan de Oliveira (Flamengo), W, Daniel Gardner (Nottingham Forest), W, Kairo Smith-Phillips (Crystal Palace) and CF Kaream Thomas (Wolves)