Overview
The goalkeeper group might be the strongest across all US youth national teams, with three keepers in the top 20, more than any other class from 2007-2011. Connor Dale leads it as the highest graded domestic keeper in the pool, with JJ Nemo and Jackson Dale also making the cut, each with a different profile.
Center-back looked like a weak spot at U-15 but is trending more optimistic. Four center-backs make the top 20. Max Gordon, a German-American dual national who has only played for Germany's youth teams, is the highest graded and could end up the top player in the whole class. Expect the US to push hard to bring him in before Germany can cap-tie him. Miles Aalbersberg, a Dutch-American at Ajax who's played for both the US and Netherlands at youth level, is the other Europe-based center-back, and that recruiting battle looks even right now, likely to play out through next year's U-17 World Cup process. The two domestic center-backs are Mikel Akinmboni (brother of Bournemouth's Matai) and LJ Born of FC Cincinnati.
Full-back is by far the weakest group, which tracks since younger full-back pools tend to be thin as top players shift into the position later. Seyi Fakiseyi is the only one in the top 20, and I do think he has real USMNT potential down the road.
Midfield is where this class gets exciting, with real depth and profile diversity. Nathan Tchoumba and David Ilevbare are two high-level sixes, Tchoumba my top-rated 2010 player right now and Ilevbare a top 10 player. Kamil Castillo and Abdoulaye Diop are towering eights with great feet who could also slide to six. Vinny Garcia, an eight or ten, is already a full-time MLS Next Pro player for LA Galaxy, and Matthew Arana is a true box-to-box midfielder fully integrated into his club's second team. Robert Turdean and Eddie Niles round out the group as attacking midfielders, undersized but technical and sharp in the final third, though both need to prove their output offsets a lack of defensive contribution.
Winger is another weak spot. If not for Erick Feliciano's breakout this season, there wouldn't be anyone from this position in the top 20, and no player has raised their stock more. A few others could push into the top 20 in the next couple years, but there's no clear candidate yet.
Center-forward is a strength, led by Jamil Danjaji as my top-rated striker, with Da'vian Kimbrough and Landon Lucero close behind and a few more just outside the top 20.
The next year should tell us a lot. Several players have already transitioned well to MLS Next Pro, and now the question is who can make the bigger jump to a first team. Europe-based players will likely move through their systems more slowly, which is typical. The dual-national picture is heating up too: Kimbrough remains the most pressing Mexico-US battle, with Garcia leaning US and Arana leaning Mexico, while Aalbersberg is the main one to watch on the Europe side with the Netherlands. The U-17 World Cup qualification process next year should bring more clarity on where everyone lands.
The list
1. DM, Nathan Tchoumba, Colorado Rapids (No change)Tchoumba has a unique blend of size, quickness and explosiveness with good footwork, a good habit of scanning and turning to face pressure. He is dominant in duels and is a true ball winner as a destroying six. If his passing consistency does not develop, he could have a higher ceiling at center-back.
2. CB, Max Gordon, Bayer Leverkusen (New addition)Gordon is a modern center-back with decent size, fantastic athleticism and pace to stay step for step with athletic attackers. He takes his space on the ball and is confident in finding line breaking passes and long diagonals. He is a risk-taking, aggressive defender who is proficient in duels.
3. GK, Connor Dale, FC Cincinnati (↑3Dale checks almost every box you want in a young keeper with great reactions, flexibility and athleticism. He has the ability to make game altering saves both with his hands and his feet and positions himself to cut down angles extremely well. In distribution, he has soft feet and is very poised and confident with his passing under pressure.
4. CF, Jamil Danjaji, Columbus Crew (↓2)Danjaji’s burst in his first 10 yards is truly elite. He does his best work running behind back lines, but his ability to combine and hold up is improving as his his first touch and close control and work rate against the ball.
5. W, Erick Feliciano, Austin FC (New addition)Feliciano plays a fearless, positive style leveraging his short area quickness, burst and dribbling ability to attack defenders and create problems in the final third. He combines with precision and decisively and has a knack for the spectacular.
6. DM, David Ilevbare, Atlanta United (↑2)Ilevbare has every tool you look for in a 6, with the rare ability to be both a disruptive destroying and a deep lying playmaker. He has elite size, good mobility, duel winning ability and excellent passing range.
7. CF, Da’vian Kimbrough, Sacramento Republic on loan to FC Dallas (↓2)Kimbrough does almost everything required of a modern day striker well — hold up play, combination play, running behind off of the ball, pressing against the ball, disguising runs in the box, creating shots on his own and finishing in multiple ways. He may not have any elite qualities but he always seems to impact games in different ways.
8. CM, Kamil Castillo, D.C. United (↓3)Castillo is a versatile midfielder that has the ability to play as a 6, 8 or 10 because of his blend of size, vision, game understanding, ball security, and work rate.
9. CM, Abdoulaye Diop, Philadelphia Union (↓5)Diop is a super unique talent with center-back size and winger feet. He does his best work disrupting defensively using his length and quick feet and progressing the ball through the middle of field with his creative dribbling and progressive passing.
10. CM, Vinny Garcia, LA Galaxy (↓2)Garcia is a versatile midfielder that has super quick feet that help him weave through traffic and in duels. He is very good in recovery situations and works to win the ball back quickly when his team has lost it. As he matures and adds strength, he’ll become more effective with his ball carrying.
11. AM, Robert Turdean, Chicago Fire (↓2)Turdean is a dynamic, quick-thinking attacker with elite ball control and creativity in tight spaces, whose impact lies almost entirely in attack with limited defensive contribution.
12. AM, Eddie Niles, St. Louis City (↓1)Niles is one of the most gifted and exciting players with the ball at his feet with excellent close control, vision and a knack for making plays in the final third. He doesn't have ideal size, so his position projection is a little bit of a question.
13. GK, Jason “JJ” Nemo, Chicago Fire (No change) Nemo can make highly acrobatic saves thanks to athleticism and explosiveness out of his stance. He flashes high level distribution with both feet, though his composure and decision making can become more consistent.
14. LB, Seyi Fakiseyi, Atlanta United (↑2)Fakiyesi is a well rounded full-back who is a good one on one defender and is capable of carrying the ball through traffic to break pressure. He has good strength, burst and agility — a very favorable profile for his position.
15. CM, Matthew Arana, Houston Dynamo (New addition)Arana is one of the top ball progression midfielders in this class. His mix of a strong frame, good balance, awareness of pressure, footwork and close control make it difficult to take the ball off of him and he is able to release the ball at the right time.
16. GK, Jackson Dale, Seattle Sounders (New addition)Dale might be the best pure shot stopper in this class with the best length and goal coverage of any keeper in the class. His distribution is still a work in progress but he is getting better each year in that category.
17. CB, Mikel Akinmboni, Nashville SC (↑3)Akinmboni has very good size and is gifted on the ball, both dribbling out of pressure and distributing with both feet, displaying the feet of a box to box midfielder. I love his bravery and confidence on the ball. His mobility and ability to defend in space continues to improve.
18. CB, Miles Aalbersberg, Ajax (No change)Aalbersberg is a smooth, adequately sized center-back and arguably the best passer in the class, comfortable dribbling out of pressure and showing his midfield background in possession. The key question is his defensive edge—how much he relishes defending and how physically he competes in duels.
19. CB, Landon “LJ” Born, FC Cincinnati (New addition)Born does a lot of important things well as a young center-back and his physical projection has improved over the last year. He has prototypical height and his mobility has increased, showing good lateral movement in 1v1 defending. He is positionally sound and highly capable on the ball, but needs to get stronger in duels.
20. CF, Landon Lucero, Seattle Sounders (↓7) Lucero has prototypical center-forward size, good mobility with above-average speed and a well-rounded skill set, capable of holding up, connecting, running behind, dribbling, and finishing in multiple ways. He may not have an elite standout trait yet, but he’s good at nearly everything you want from a modern number nine.
Disclaimer
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.
GK, Milan Johnson (Ajax), GK, Paul Küepper (Hertha Berlin), GK, Oliver Luca Mead, (QPR), CM, Ben Moskowitz (Leeds), CM, Anthony Applewhaite (Mainz), CM, Andre Bistrain (AD Alcorcón), CM, Antoni Edwards (SV Elversberg), CM, Ivan Rihachi Tchekan (Hoffenheim), CM, Khalil Stambouli (RC Lens), W, Jayden Eldridge (Nordsjaelland)
