After Will Reilly & Dominik Chong Qui, who will be Atlanta United’s Next Homegrowns?

Happy Holidays, everyone.

Atlanta United had plenty of presents to give fans and academy prospects this past week. On Wednesday, Atlanta United 2 signed its next young star left-back, Dominik Chong Qui to his first professional contract with a promotion to a Homegrown Player contract in 2026. Just a couple of days later, former Atlanta United U-17 captain and 2s starter Will Reilly returned from four stellar years at Stanford on a Homegrown Player contract of his own. Though each player took a different route to their first professional contract, they both offer clear examples of the kinds of pathways to the professional game young talent can follow.

When announcing the signings of each player, Academy Director Javier Perez had very interesting observations about each player. When talking about Chong Qui, Perez praised the accelerated rate at which the young player blazed through Atlanta’s system, already proving himself in his first meaningful minutes in MLS NEXT Pro this past summer. For Reilly, Perez gave a different, but important observation that all young players should keep in mind. Perez praised Reilly’s continued work and growth through the club’s pipeline and through his time with a high-quality college program. He never stopped working and growing, which is something his new coach Ronny Deila will greatly appreciate.

When creating these “Next Homegrown” articles, I try to get into the minds of Atlanta United’s decision makers. What kinds of players are they looking for and what kinds of character traits do they value?

Based on what we have heard from Garth Lagerway, Javier Perez, Chris Henderson, and now Ronny Deila, we want players whose character and work ethic match or exceed their talent. We want players who want to earn every minute they can get and then push themselves as far as they can possibly take their abilities to improve and contribute to the team. Jay Fortune and Noah Cobb are two current Homegrown Players who exemplify these characteristics.

When looking at players who are not or were not signed by the club, we should not assume that they do not also share these character traits, or have some flaw. In the case of our extremely talented young centerback Ethan Degny, he transferred to France’s OGC Nice precisely because he did not feel he was progressing quickly enough with us. The same may be true for Homegrown midfielder Adyn Torres who is reportedly seeking a transfer to Portugal’s FC Porto. Another recognizable player that we have long thought was in line for a Homegrown contract was Alan Carleton, who signed a multi-year contract with the 2s to start his career. Last month, his time in Atlanta came to a close as he signed with Nashville SC’s MLS NEXT Pro affiliate Huntsville City FC.

So with all of that out of the way. The question remains:

Who Could Be Our Next Homegrown Player?

Let’s begin with players currently with the academy who could sign with the 2s or a Homegrown Player contract outright between now and the end of the summer window.

Current Academy Prospects

Jonathan Ransom – ’08 – GK – U-19s

At the top of my list is likely the second best goalkeeper prospect to come through Atlanta United’s system. With Brad Guzan and Josh Cohen’s contracts coming to an end after the 2025 season and 2024 SuperDraft pick Jayden Hibbert the heir apparent, the club looks ready for a reset at the position. Though a little bit undersized for a goalkeeper, Jonathan Ransom is phenomenal in just about every other way. He split time with the 2s in 2024 with Hibbert and veteran keeper John Berner, and looked fairly good aside from the kinds of growing pains you expect from a 16-year-old keeper playing professional minutes.

One important thing to watch when evaluating goalkeepers is their feet. Their hands can do a lot but they won’t be effective if the feet are in the right place. Good footwork when defending can help a keeper overcome height limitations and can make their shot-stopping abilities skyrocket. Ransom has some of the best footwork we have seen from this academy. That also translates to when he has the ball at his feet, with consistent improvement in his passing and distribution. While the club may not be in a big hurry to sign their second every homegrown goalkeeper (Vicente Reyes should have been #2 in my opinion), they have a real keeper in Ransom.

Stephen Hurlock – ’06 – LW – U-19s, committed to University of Virginia

A player who has blown me away in 2024 and will likely force a tough decision during the 2025 MLS NEXT Pro season is Stephen Hurlock. Hurlock is tall, strong, fast, and incredibly dangerous with the ball at his feet. He made his first cameos with the 2s this season but his strongest body of work has been with the U-18/19s. He moves incredibly smoothly and with great control for his height. His off-ball movement creates a lot of dangerous looks in transition, and his strong 1 v 1 game with the ball at his feet can break down opposing defenses around the 18-yard box. Hurlock is committed to attend the University of Virginia in the Fall but a strong enough Spring with the U-19s and the 2s could see plans change. Atlanta United are weak on the wings, need depth and a top-end starter opposite Saba Lobjanidze. Hurlock could be just the man for the job.

Braden Dunham – ’07 – LCB, LB – U-19s, committed to Furman

Limiting these articles to just a few players in the academy and college ranks is a tremendous exercise in self-discipline. I could have named about five players for this last spot, but the one who has popped out for me in 2024 is left-sided defender Braden Dunham. Dunham is a bit of an in-betweener on the left side. He is perfectly capable of playing a more defensive left-back with decent passing and mobility, and he can also play as part of a 3-man backline. He is incredibly consistent, and put in the work to develop a very strong passing and crossing ability with his left foot. Ideally, Dunham would play as the defensive cover behind Chong Qui, with the added ability to also curl in a beautiful ball towards the box. Dunham is committed to Furman where he would join academy products Malachi Grant and Luke Hutzell. That wouldn’t be a bad move for him long-term if a Homegrown Player contract doesn’t come in the next few months.

College Prospects

Nigel Prince – ’04 – CB – Northwestern University

The player I am most certain of signing a Homegrown Player contract out of all six in this article is Northwestern’s rising Senior centerback Nigel Prince. In our college season recap, we talked about how Prince has improved and matured as a centerback over his three seasons starting for his college program. One of the few benefits of playing for a team near the bottom of its conference is that you get a lot of defensive reps. Prince has gotten plenty and has still held together a defensive unit that has kept opposing goalscoring far below what it could be. In his third season, Prince has already earned All-Big 10 Honors twice and has very little left to prove in college soccer. While he could return for his senior season, I would rather see him take a 2s deal similar to what brought Matthew Edwards back to Atlanta last winter. Prince is the kind of big, athletic, and powerful defender that would be a welcomed addition to Atlanta’s centerback group.

Brendan Lambe – ’04 – DM – University of Virginia

Sophomore defensive midfielder Brendan Lambe should have already gotten his first professional contract. The Freshman All-ACC Team honoree and rock at the heart of the University of Virginia’s midfield is a phenomenal holding midfielder with a strong and compact frame that can shield opposing midfielders off of the ball and win back possession in the middle of the field. He is one of the coolest and calmest players with an excellent poker face on the field. He is a metronomic midfielder who will only get better with more high-level experience. Don’t expect flashy highlights or statistics from him very often because he will be the one holding the whole ship together.

Remi Okunlola – ’05 – RB, RCB, RW – Clemson University

The last of our college potential Homegrowns is Sophomore Swiss Army Knife Remi Okunlola. Though primarily playing as a right-back with Atlanta United, Okunlola has fully showcased his versatility at Clemson, playing up and down the right flank from centerback to fullback, wingback and wide forward. The 2022 Gatorade Soccer Player of the Year in Georgia will probably play his full four years of eligibility at Clemson but will be a first-round-quality prospect when it is time for Atlanta United to welcome him back to the club in 2027.

A few honorable mentions include: Santiago Suarez (’11)– CF/AM, Julian Bretous (’07) — 6, Isaiah Vicentii (’08) — CF, and Andrew De Gannes (’03) — LB.