Following the conclusion of the 2024/2025 academy season, the Atlanta United Academy hosted its annual College Signing Day at the Training Ground to celebrate eight academy products who will soon be on their way to college programs. This increases the total number of graduates to play Division-1 soccer to 87, with countless more graduates and former academy players throughout college soccer.
“Everyone at Atlanta United and the Academy is incredibly proud of these young men, and we’re excited to watch their continued growth at the collegiate and professional levels,” said Director of Methodology Javier Pérez. “Each player has showcased the opportunities and pathways available through our Academy, and we look forward to following their journeys as they take the next steps in their careers.”
Fans and long-time readers of DirtySouthSoccer and Scarves & Spikes may recognize a lot of these names thanks to cameos with the 2s or appearing in our Next Homegrowns series. As we have seen from a growing number of college graduates, continuing their soccer development in Division-1 college programs can offer comparable or even superior opportunities to earn meaningful minutes and continue their path towards a professional career. This year’s class of college-bound players features several who are likely to follow the path Will Reilly, Matt Edwards, Machop Chol, and other academy graduates have successfully paved.
Stephen Hurlock (left wing) will join Brendan Lambe, Grant Howard, Amari Salley, and Michael Howard at the University of Virginia. Hurlock could earn early opportunities to excel in the college system thanks to his size, speed, and athleticism as a wide forward. His dynamic and aggressive style of play will translate well at the next level, especially with Brendan Lambe feeding him up the flank.
After impressing in several starts for the 2s, left-sided defender Braden Dunham joins Malachi Grant and Luke Hutzell at Furman University. Dunham has consistently looked great as a left-back and left centerback at every level of Atlanta United’s academy and in limited appearances with the 2s. If he can keep up this form, he could be a day-1 starter for Furman and potentially transfer to a higher-profile college program like Clemson or Wake Forest if he chooses to pursue a professional soccer career.
Seamus Streelman will replace former academy left-back Mathieu Brick with the Clemson Tigers in 2025. Atlanta United products have had a lot of success in Clemson, with Remi Okunlola currently leading the way on a team that is a perennial championship contender. The competition within the roster is high, and the Atlantic Coast Conference has only gotten stronger with Stanford, the University of California, and other great Pac-12 teams joining the league last season. This will be a great test for Streelman at a quality institution.
The University of Portland (Oregon) will welcome two highly athletic and talented academy products this summer. Ayo Akintobi (right-back) and Julian Bretous (defensive midfielder) are both day-1 starter quality players who have been with the academy for a while. Akintobi has been with the club since 2018 and has developed into a highly athletic and impressive two-way right-back. Bretous joined the club in 2022 ahead of the U-17 CONCACAF U-17 Cup, where he represented Haiti. Bretous now represents Haiti at the U-20 level as a polished and no-nonsense defensive midfielder like Tyler Adams. Both players could work their way back to Atlanta United or into the MLS SuperDraft.
Former Academy Director Tony Annan recruited a couple more solid players with 2s experience from this class to his growing program at the University of South Carolina. 2023 MLS NEXT All-Star defender Shawn Lanza and the 2024 U-19s top scorer Matthew Dejianne join Nash Skoglund and Gabe Nickerson in Columbia for a team with an intriguing mix of domestic and international talent.
Dillon Griner joins a growing pool of talented college goalkeepers produced by Atlanta United’s academy. Griner has been with the academy since 2019 and was a consistent presence for every age group on his way up to leading the U-19s. He will join Joel Gonzalez, Bains Smith, and 2024 Superdraft pick Casper Mols at the University of Kentucky. Mols is the clear starter in 2025, but Griner could position himself as the next man up and starting goalkeeper for 2026.
This class also includes four graduating players who will remain with Atlanta United as professional players.
Forward Ashton Gordon and Defender Kaiden Moore are the two highest-profile of these new professionals. Gordon became a Homegrown Player at the beginning of this year after signing with Atlanta United 2 in January 2024. Moore signed his first professional contract with the 2s on July 26, 2024, and will join the first team as a Homegrown Player in 2026.
Two new arrivals, midfielder Santiago Pita and forward Arif Kovac, joined the Atlanta United Academy at the start of the 2024/2025 academy season and earned their first professional contracts with the 2s ahead of the 2025 season.
Congratulations to this year’s Atlanta United Academy graduating class.