Young Atlanta United players to watch in 2025

Something I have come to appreciate from covering Atlanta United’s youth development pipeline for nearly a decade for Dirty South Soccer and Scarves & Spikes is the time, patience, dedication, and intentionality it takes to develop an impact player. For most fans, the first time they see a lot of these players is in a preseason match, the US Open Cup, or their debut for the first team. Fans see the product of years of dedicated work by the players and Atlanta United’s academy staff under Tony Annan, Matt Lawrey, and now Javier Perez.

Over the last nine years, Atlanta United’s player identification and development team has steadily worked to refine and innovate how the club can set its players and itself up for sustained success on and off the field. This long-term investment of expertise, time, and culture-building has turned the slow drip of talent production into a consistent stream.

“We want to make sure that if the player is good enough, we’re giving him opportunities,” Henderson said. “If you look at the value of homegrown players contributing, potentially playing for the first team, helping us win games, maybe selling players overseas, it’s something that (director of methodology) Javier (Perez) is going to play a major part of.”

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

Young players like Luke Brennan exhibit the fearlessness and confidence of youngsters rising through our academy. They are hungry, they are tough, and they are ready to show what they can do.

Atlanta United will begin the 2025 season with 8 homegrown players on the opening-day roster, many of whom stand a strong chance of playing a significant role in what many hope will be a championship season. With Dominik Chong Qui, Cooper Sanchez, and Kaiden Moore all expected to be promoted from their 2s contract to Homegrown Players by the start of the 2026 season and more talent likely on the way from college soccer and the academy, we are taking some inspiration from our colleagues at Sounder at Heart to showcase a few players from the first team, the 2s, our college player pool, and the Atlanta United Academy who we will be watching closely in 2025.

Major League Soccer

Jay Fortune – ’02 – CM – Homegrown Player

Fortune was easily Atlanta United’s breakout player of the 2024 season. While Caleb Wiley’s big transfer to Europe may have gotten more attention, Homegrown Player Ajani Fortune transformed from a predominantly reserve role with a lot left to prove into a vocal, visible leader and starter for the Atlanta United team that knocked Lionel Messi out of the MLS Playoffs. He is a young leader on this team with a lot of trust and respect from his new manager. He is deadlocked in a tight competition for minutes in a strong group of central midfielders, which I expect to be a phenomenal motivator for his continued growth as a rising star.

Noah Cobb – ’05 – CB – Homegrown Player

Noah Cobb is the living embodiment of the “Next Man Up” motivational mantra so many coaches like to scribble on chalkboards. He is smart, tough, fast, and talented beyond his years at the centerback position. Like Fortune, he finds himself in a tight competition against older and more established players for minutes but has already earned the deep trust and belief of his new head coach. If injuries, international duty, or the momentum of competition in training shift starting opportunities his way, it may be very challenging to sit him back on the bench.

Matt Edwards – ’03 – RB/CB – Homegrown Player

Speaking of “Next Man Up”, Matt Edwards got thrown into the fire as an Opening Day starter against CF Montreal and against Zaha in Charlotte. Though you could tell this was his first start, he did not look out of place in the first half. Edwards looked even more impressive in the first half against Charlotte, but struggled with cramps after giving up a bad bounce in the second half. While Brooks Lennon will likely reclaim the starting right-back spot upon his return to health, there is a lot to like about Edwards and plenty of reasons to believe he could continue to play meaningful minutes beyond the opening matches of the season.

Efrain Morales – ’04 – CB – Homegrown Player

This is a pivotal season for Efrain Morales. The talent is there, the physical gifts are there, but it has not yet turned into meaningful opportunities on the field beyond a few emergency starts and substitutions last season. He is currently at the bottom of a strong 5-man centerback group and will have competition very soon coming up from the 2s and back from the college game. Luckily, he still has not turned 21 years old and now has a great coach to bring out the best in him.

Luke Brennan – ’05 – Wing – Homegrown Player

Luke Brennan is my pick for Atlanta United’s breakout player of the year this season. We saw it last year and in the preseason, and his new coach has commented on how much he likes what Brennan brings to the table. Heck, they even tried him as a 10 in the preseason. Being able to learn from Almiron, Latte Lath, and Saba every day in practice will be a fantastic experience for Brennan, and I expect he will fit right in when he gets his chance to join Atlanta United’s dynamic new attack.

Will Reilly – ’02 – CM – Homegrown Player

Reilly had a good preseason but is clearly behind Fortune in the current depth chart. It is a massive jump in the pace of play from college to what Deila is doing in Atlanta, so Reilly would benefit from game minutes with the 2s early on. He has the talent and mindset to succeed in Deila’s system, so it will come down to taking advantage of the slim opportunities he may have with the first team.

Jayden Hibbert – ’04 – GK – SuperDraft Pick

There is every reason to believe Hibbert is the future goalkeeper for Atlanta United, but as long as Brad Guzan continues defying Father Time, Hibbert will have to soak up everything he can from the veterans ahead of him. As the de facto starting goalkeeper for Atlanta United 2 this season, Hibbert will have plenty of opportunities to continue improving his distribution from the back, his chemistry with young defenders like Kaiden Moore and Efrain Morales, and fine-tuning the way he reads the game.

Dominik Chong Qui – ’07 – LB – 2s, Homegrown Player in 2026

Though he is still on his Atlanta United 2 contract in 2025, Dom Chong Qui already looks ready for MLS minutes. He is strong, fast, and technically gifted enough to hold his own at the position and is already ahead of where Caleb Wiley was at the same age. As Pedro Amador recovers from an injury he sustained in the preseason and Ronald Hernandez manages injuries from training, Chong Qui will gain valuable experience training with the first team and could earn an early promotion to Homegrown Player than expected, much like what we saw with George Bello and Caleb Wiley.

MLS NEXT Pro

Ronan Wynne – ’01 – RB – SuperDraft Pick

After an impressive preseason, Ronan Wynne will begin his professional career with Atlanta United 2. There is a lot to like about Wynne’s game. He is a smooth two-way right-back with a lot of experience between upper-level academies in New Zealand, a strong college career, and a trip to the Paris Olympics with the New Zealand U-23s. Wynne will begin the 2025 MLS NEXT PRO season as a capable veteran leader on a young 2s team with an excellent opportunity to impress in the MLS regular season as the first team battles injuries at the fullback position.

Rodrigo Neri – ’05 – CF

When Rodrigo Neri joined Atlanta United 2 midway through the 2024 from Valencia, he aimed to create a clear pathway to meaningful first-team minutes. The talented US youth international center forward immediately showed his quality for the 2s and played well enough to be one of only 5 players retained from the 2024 squad and the only player who was not an academy product or a draft pick. While the starting #9 spot may be locked down for the foreseeable future at the Benz, Jamal Thiare and Cayman Togashi are both 31-year-old backups playing on year-to-year options, so there could be space for a young standout center-forward to work his way onto the senior roster in 2026.

Adyn Torres – ’07 – DM – Homegrown Player

Adyn Torres is a tough central defensive player who likes to get stuck into a challenge. He is fearless and has good positioning to lock down opposing midfielders. The big question for Torres will be whether he remains in the midfield or transitions to the backline. He needs lots of minutes to progress and is blocked at every possible position on the first team. The talent is there, and he is getting great opportunities like an offseason training stint with FC Porto, so all he needs is a large dose of quality minutes against competition that elevates his development.

Ashton Gordon – ’07 – W – Homegrown Player

Atlanta’s 17-year-old Jamaican youth international needs a strong 2025 with the 2s. He has loads of talent but has not gotten many chances to show it since he graduated from the academy to his first professional minutes with the 2s. The team has moved Gordon around the attack, partially out of need and partially out of a desire to find his best position. While many of us writing from outside of the club see him as a clear wide attacking forward, some in the club want to continue trying him as a center forward or attacking midfielder. Time will tell where he ends up, but Gordon should play significant minutes for the 2s to keep his development on track.

Cooper Sanchez – ’08 – CM/DM – 2s, Homegrown Player in 2026

In an organization loaded with central midfielders, Cooper Sanchez aims to add his name to the mix. He is a versatile midfielder with strong fundamentals. If you focus on him during a match, you will see a lot of the quiet and efficiently methodical work a central midfielder needs to do to keep the entire formation stable. He can play either role in a double pivot and will likely be the ball handler when paired with Adyn Torres, the more advanced connector when paired with Javi Armas, and the deeper-lying defender when paired with Will Reilly. He is not a flashy player, but he does a lot of things right that build highlight reels for the flashy players around him.

Kaiden Moore – ’07 – LCB – 2s, Homegrown Player in 2026

Left-footed centerbacks are hard to find, so being able to develop one in-house is always a good investment of resources. Moore made his debut for the 2s early in the 2024 season and earned his first professional contract shortly thereafter. In his first season, Moore played over 1100 minutes as the starting left centerback with mixed results. His passing is pretty decent for a young centerback, and he has shown gradual improvement as a defender at the professional level. Moore will be one of at least three 2s players promoted to the first team on Homegrown Player contracts in 2026. With Luis Abram unlikely to return, the club will need all of the depth it can get at the left centerback position. A successful 2025 season could position Moore to fill in alongside fellow homegrown Noah Cobb and Efrain Morales.

Jonathan Ransom – ’08 – GK – U-19s & 2s

For all of the talented goalkeeping prospects to come through Atlanta United’s system, it baffles me that the club has only signed on to a Homegrown Player contract. 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 to refresh the depth chart at the goalkeeping position.

Though a little bit undersized for a goalkeeper, Jonathan Ransom makes up for that in every other metric. 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.

He split time with Hibbert and veteran keeper John Berner during the 2024 MLS NEXT Pro season and looked fairly good, aside from the growing pains you expect from a 16-year-old keeper playing professional minutes. While the club has been slow to sign their second 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 in 2024, but his strongest body of work has been with the U-18/19s. He moves incredibly smoothly and with great physical 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 joining the University of Virginia in the Fall, but a strong Spring with the 2s could see plans change. Atlanta United could add more young and dynamic depth on the wings behind Saba Lobjanidze and Miguel Almiron. Hurlock could be just the man for the job.

College

Nigel Prince – ’04 – CB – Northwestern University

Northwestern’s rising Senior centerback Nigel 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 goal-scoring far below what it could be. In his third season, Prince has already earned All-Big 10 Honors twice and has little left to prove in college soccer. Prince is the kind of big, athletic, and powerful defender that would be a welcomed addition to Atlanta’s centerback group in 2026.

Brendan Lambe – ’04 – DM – University of Virginia

Rising Junior 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 holding midfielder who will only get better with more high-level experience. Don’t expect flashy attacking highlights or stats from him because he will be the one holding the whole ship together. Lambe could return on a Homegrown contract in 2027.

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

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. Now entering his third college season, Okunlola will have the opportunity to further cement himself in a perennially top-tier college program with a strong likelihood of a Homegrown Player contract offer in 2027

Grant Howard – ’02 – RB, RCB – University of Virginia

Last year was a big jump for Grant Howard. Though Virginia Tech and the University of Virginia are in the same conference and are a relatively short drive apart, UVA is a lot closer to a professional system than Tech. Howard took a little bit over a month to fully work his way into the UVA rotation, but he immediately followed his debut up with seven starts, of which UVA won 6 while giving up just five goals. Howard should be high up the defensive depth chart for UVA going into his senior season, shifting between right-back and right centerback depending upon the needs of his coach and the defensive formation. There is a lot to like about him and plenty of reason to believe he has a future in professional soccer, but that level remains to be determined by how he does in his senior campaign.

Academy

This Spring should be a very exciting time for the academy. We have an exciting goalkeeping competition in full swing between James Donaldson and Lucas Elias da Silva, who have both been called up to their youth national teams in the last few months. Both are still very young (born in 2009) but are high-upside prospects who will likely both play up a few levels this year as talented prospects above them earn opportunities with the 2s and the U-19s. One of the (slightly) older goalkeeping prospects who is right in the middle of this battle is Dillon Griner (’07). Griner became a regular starter for the U-19s last Fall and will likely retain that position through at least this summer. Griner has trained with the 2s and appeared on their bench so he could see a cameo later in the summer.

Atlanta’s defensive pipeline remains strong despite losing Ethan Degny to Europe over the winter. For analysts who cover the young age groups like USMNT Prospects, the next centerback to be very excited about is Dulani Renni (’10). Like Degny, he’s a very tall and athletic centerback prospect who is dominating competition thanks to his physical gifts, even when playing up an age group or two. The key for him will be developing the technical and mental side of the game that can make him a special prospect for the higher academy levels. As a rare left-footed centerback, he could progress quickly to the 2s as Kaiden Moore’s primary backup if things start to click this Spring.

Despite his impending departure to the University of Portland, the midfielder I am most looking forward to watching this Spring is Haitian youth international holding midfielder Julian Bretous (’07). He’s a really good defensive midfielder who would have gotten a Homegrown Player contract already if the club was not so deep at the position. He works well as a double pivot partner, covering a lot of ground as a defensive workhorse in front of his centerbacks. I expect him to be an immediate starter in his first college season this Fall and could show up on a lot of teams’ radars if Atlanta does not retain his exclusive rights.

As we wrap up this tour through Atlanta United’s prospect pipeline, I am thrilled to say that we have a few center-forward prospects to watch. Isaiah Vicentti (’08) burst onto the scene last Fall with the U-19s and immediately looked the part, combining well with Ashton Gordon, Stephen Hurlock, and Ayo Akintobi to create a lot of goals. He has a strong hold-up game and good vision to find teammates inside the box. He will likely remain with the U-19s through most of the Spring but could get some opportunities with the 2s this summer if he keeps up his strong run of form. Santi Suarez (’10) is another fun forward prospect to watch. He was overshadowed a bit by his older brother Ignacio in early 2024 but has steadily worked his way into the rotation two age groups up from where he would normally be playing. He could end up playing in any of the front four attacking positions but will likely remain central. I expect the club to include him in the U-16 team in this year’s MLS NEXT post-season tournament and showcase, so that should give us a great opportunity to see him play against quality competition.