44 Top College Prospects Invited to the MLS College Showcase

As the NCAA College Cup nears its penultimate match and the MLS offseason kicks into gear, 44 of the nation’s top college prospects available in the 2025 MLS SuperDraft gathered in San Diego for the MLS College Showcase.

This annual closed-door event gives MLS technical staffs exclusive access to the players who could make up most of the first two rounds of this year’s draft. The composition of the showcase is more diverse in age than in much of its history thanks to key changes in draft eligibility implemented last year. No longer limited to Seniors, Graduate Students, and a handful of Generations Adidas underclassmen stars, the draft now features players beginning in their Sophomore year. If selected, the players and the club who drafted them may opt for them to return to school for up to two more years without compromising their college athlete status or their pathway to the pros. Atlanta United used this option for their third round pick in 2024, the University of Kentucky’s goalkeeper, Casper Mols.

Most of the players participating in this year’s MLS College Showcase either were not part of MLS academies or have had their exclusive rights declined.

For Atlanta United fans, the main focus could be on Atlanta-native Riley Thomas who was Matthew Edwards’ centerback partner at the University of North Carolina for two seasons. Thomas has started nearly every match in his 5-years with UNC, showcasing his positional versatility across the backline. He is a very intelligent and reliable defender with a strong grasp of the fundamentals. While he may not have the jump-off-the-page athleticism as some of his contemporaries, he more than makes up for that with a wealth of positional awareness and consistent body positioning. Thomas went unselected in last year’s draft and could become a late-round steal for teams like Atlanta United who like to construct their 2s rosters with a mix college graduates and academy players.

Another player to watch could be Wake Forest’s sophomore defensive midfielder Liam O’Gara who despite coming off of an injury-tainted season remains one of the most exciting Sophomores in the country. The Winston Salem-native has the size (6’3″ or 1.91 meters) and physicality to shield the defense, retain possession, and be a reliable connector from the backline to playmakers up the field. O’Gara is extremely smooth in how he moves with and without the ball and could fulfill a role similarly to what Jeff Larentowicz played, shifting between the 6 and centerback role throughout the season. He is likely a first-round pick but his injury could drop him further down towards the second round. He still needs some development with the 2s before being ready for the pace of MLS but he could rise quickly.

Cornell’s Alex Harris would be an ideal pickup for Portland. A Vancouver, Washington-native, Harris would have the chance to compete in front of a hometown crowd after earning unanimous Ivy League Rookie of the Year honors in 2024 and Ivy League Co-Offensive Player of the Year in 2025. Playing as both a central forward and wing, in just two season he has already scored 31 goals and added 9 assists across about 2,600 minutes of open play. His 19 goals in 2024 came from 48 shots on goal in 86 attempts. Atlanta United need players who has a nose for goal and wants to be fed the ball. The question will be whether Harris will still be available when Atlanta picks at #23 overall.

We will dive in to the rest of these players and the larger SuperDraft pool next week as we prepare for what could be a very exciting week of roster building for Atlanta United and the 2s.