2025 Atlanta United college prospect recap

How did Atlanta United’s growing pool of college prospects fare in 2025, and who could be on the road back to Atlanta?

Thank you for joining me for another NCAA Men’s College Soccer season recap, taking a deep dive into some of the academy’s graduates and former prospects as they pursue their passion for soccer at the collegiate level. A lot has happened in the last four months, including a few surprises we didn’t see coming in our season preview.

Last year, we highlighted four key trends that we continue to track in 2025 as MLS, USL, and the NCAA all prepare to realign their calendars from August to May. This year, we have added a couple of key elements.

• The influx of an international player pool that developed at top academies in Europe, Africa, South America, and the Pacific is reshaping the competitive landscape and the ages of college players.
• The restructuring of SuperDraft eligibility, opening the pathway to the pros for younger players outside of the MLS system, while also protecting them and the drafting club’s investment in them through a 2-year development window during which they can return to school.
• A renewed push by the top conferences in college soccer to implement a year-round competition calendar featuring a Spring season with some top-NCAA teams in active preparations to join the US Soccer pyramid through 4th-division leagues.
• The growth of player development by MLS and non-MLS academies in the US is leading to a larger pool of players than MLS clubs can or are willing to sign to Homegrown or MLS NEXT Pro contracts.
• NIL college player compensation is adding competitiveness to college recruiting for players who do not have as clear a path to first-team minutes with their MLS side or who prefer college money and other opportunities to an MLS NEXT PRO contract.

All of that is to say that more and more quality players are slipping through the cracks, so if a club is willing to invest in scouting domestic college, youth, and semi-pro leagues and fully using their MLS NEXT Pro team, they can build a strong talent acquisition and development pipeline to complement their academy.

Much of this is dependent on a club’s internal scouting guidelines and opinions about the college players whose rights the club retains. Sometimes those opinions change, like in the case of Liam Butts, who returned to Atlanta United 2 this offseason after being drafted by the San Jose Earthquakes and playing for a couple of seasons with New England Revolution II. With Atlanta United’s first team reportedly undergoing a thorough evaluation under returning Head Coach Tata Martino, there may be opportunities for other prospects to work their way back to Atlanta.

With that quick summary of the state of college soccer out of the way, let’s dive into our season review.

5 Players to Watch

The 2025 Scarves & Spikes College Soccer Player of the Year Award goes to Furman’s freshman defensive phenom, Braden Dunham. We can’t say enough about how impressive Dunham’s last two years have been. Dunham’s dominance as a defense-first left-back and left centerback, offensive ability, and incredible command of the game around him and is already drawing comparisons to fellow-Furman graduate Walker Zimmerman by college commentators. Part of that comparison comes from his dominance in the air on set pieces. Dunham finished the season with 7 goals and 2 assists. All of this earned Dunham a growing list of honors, including US Soccer Coaches 2025 All-South Region Second Team, Southern Conference Freshman of the Year, All-Southern Conference First Team, All-Southern Conference Freshman Team, and Southern Conference Tournament Best-11.

Dunham was a key part of a young defensive group that nearly made it to the final of the College Cup. While there are some defensive mistakes that he will learn from, he more than made up for them with insane goals like this one against Portland.

Dunham feels like a player who could help Atlanta United sooner rather than later as key depth at the left side of the defense, with the athleticism and aggressive mindset on and off the ball that would fit Martino’s back line. The club’s current centerback groups with the first and second team are far from set, so it would not surprise us if Dunham makes an appearance at the training grounds in a few weeks.

Dunham’s teammate, Luke Hutzell, had an equally impressive sophomore campaign as Furman’s #6. Hutzell had a brilliant run in the Southern Conference Playoffs and the College Cup. Hutzell is a traditional 6, shielding his back line while playing a key role in Furman’s build-up. His most impressive match came in a 3-3 shoot-out in the rain against Western Michigan, scoring one of the goals, adding an assist, and earning a hockey assist for a key pass on the third goal. Hutzell finished the season as one of the top four midfielders in the Southern Conference and was selected as a member of the Southern Conference Tournament Best-11. He was listed as one of the eligible players in the 2026 SuperDraft, but was not selected.

Remi Okunlola returned to the starting line-up for Clemson for the third straight year. The junior right-back has started all over Clemson’s right flank over his three years with the Tigers after departing Atlanta United’s Academy, appearing as a right centerback, right-back, wingback, and wing. Though an injury kept him on the sidelines for a few matches, he still showed how critical he is to Clemson’s success after subbing in midway through the first half of Clemson’s tough playoff loss against Western Michigan. He had a career-best 8 assists in 15 matches and should be strongly considered as a Homegrown Player candidate in 2027.

Atlanta United’s most underappreciated left-back prospect, Andrew De Gannes, returned to the College Cup for the third time with Oregon State. De Gannes had an impressive season at OSU with 2 goals and 8 assists in just over 1,300 minutes, earning a selection to the US Soccer Coaches 2025 All-West Region Second Team. De Gannes is a classic left-back with strong defensive instincts and the ability to get forward to create chances in the attack. Despite yet another strong season, he has gone undrafted in the last three SuperDrafts and should be a player that Atlanta United considers bringing back. With Pedro Amador under contract for one more season, Homegrown Dominik Chong Qui waiting for his chance to reintroduce himself, and rumors swirling around a U-22 left-back, fans would be right in wondering whether there is a spot for De Gannes back in Atlanta. De Gannes is exactly the kind of talented and experienced depth that would benefit the club, especially the 2s.

Optimism abounded around the University of Virginia’s junior #8, Brendan Lambe, as he hit the ground running with a brilliant start to the 2025 season, including his first collegiate goal. Unfortunately, an untimely injury against George Mason in the third match of the season sidelined him for two months, bringing his momentum to a screeching halt. Lambe finally made it back on the field in late October and reclaimed his starting spot in time for the College Cup. Lambe will likely want to make up for lost time and interrupted momentum in his Senior Season, and should be on Atlanta’s watchlist for potential Homegrown signings.

Our honorable mention for players to watch is former Army defender Miles Hadley, who just transferred to Wake Forest this winter. After impressing in a few brief cameos for the 2s in the Spring of 2024, Hadley became an instant starter at West Point, where he started 34 matches across two seasons. Admittedly, we had written off Hadley despite his impressive play due to his connection to the service academy and the constraints that surround that. Now that he is a member of one of the top programs in college soccer, Hadley could work his way back into consideration for Atlanta United as a talented right-back with good size and relentless energy. Wake Forest fans should be excited about what Hadley can add to a Wake Forest team looking to rebound in 2026.

Seniors & Grad Students

With the 15th overall pick, the Portland Timbers selected former Atlanta United 2, Georgia State, and NC State midfielder Justin McLean. McLean showed the jump from George State to NC State was not too big for him to handle. The talented midfielder slotted in all over the attacking half of his new team and proved to be a constant threat. The highlight reel of near misses is a mile and a half long, and his final count of 3 goals and 4 assists massively undersells how impressive he looked. McLean has been one of our favorite guys to watch in college, and we are proud of him for overcoming adversity and injuries to be part of a run to the College Cup Final with NC State this past season. Portland is getting a talented player who works hard, has a lot of versatility, and could surprise fans if given the chance. He is a big and physical player who can be a wide midfielder, wing, second striker, or 10. He might even draw some Julian Gressel comparisons. NC State was one of the most exciting teams in the tournament with stars throughout its roster, and nearly missed out on a title after ending up on the wrong side of a controversial offside no-call against Washington.

Cristiano Bruletti joined Indiana University for his senior season after spending the last couple of seasons with Michigan State. This is his third college program since he last made a cameo with the 2s. Bruletti immediately stepped into the Indiana central midfield and quietly had one of his most well-rounded seasons. Across 14 starts (17 total matches), Bruletti provided a lot of stability at the heart of the Indiana formation, finding key attacking lanes through the middle of the field while also keeping most of the game in front of him. He is a reliable, steady, and smart player who will add a great deal of composure and maturity to any team that signs him. He went undrafted this year and could end up either on an MLS NEXT Pro team or in the USL.

One of the biggest surprises of this college season was Nigel Prince‘s name appearing in the draft. It was even more surprising when he was not selected. Prince has been a constant starter for four seasons with Northwestern University and has developed into a composed and capable leader for Northwestern’s backline. The raw and highly athletic youngster who cameoed with the 2s before college is now a far more capable and refined defender. Maybe it was his season-ending injury in October that disrupted the start of his professional career, because that is the only reason we can imagine.

Another senior unlikely to be in Atlanta’s preseason is former SuperDraft pick Casper Mols. Mols had an impressive season at the University of Virginia to cap off an impressive college career. He only allowed 17 goals in 1550 minutes with 43 saves and 7 shutouts. Mols commands his box well, distributes the ball with a lot of efficiency, and overall has a strong grasp of his position. He deserves to be on a professional team despite his international player status, so I hope he will find a team this winter.

Juniors

University of Michigan’s #6, Joao Paulo Ramos, had the most impressive Junior season aside from the players we highlighted earlier in the article. He started 16 of the 20 matches he played in for Michigan this year and probably had his best match against Indiana back in September. He’s a solid deep-lying midfielder who keeps things tidy and seems to be in the right spot at the right time to keep the game in front of him. While he may not win awards or get nominations for season honors, he is an important piece of a competitive team and will likely retain his starting spot next year.

After starting his collegiate career at the University of Kentucky, Joel Gonzalez returned home to Atlanta to play for Georgia State. Gonzalez continues to show versatility as a defender who can play as a fullback or wide centerback, depending on the demands of the formation. His one goal on the season was part of an impressive upset of West Virginia, something that a GSU team that was outscored 24 to 31 will hang on to as they prepare for 2026.

Italo Jenkins has been busy since he transferred from Oregon State to Omaha. He spent last summer with the Louisiana Krewe, and that seems to have helped his game in his second season back at Omaha. As a wide forward, he scored 5 goals and added an assist in 845 minutes (11 starts in 15 matches) and feels primed for a breakout senior campaign. He still boasts the powerful and imposing frame that could give him a chance at the next level if he puts all of the other pieces of his game together. A player he can look to who had a similar breakout campaign was NC State’s Donovan Phillip, who went from just 10 goal contributions (6 goals and 4 assists) in 2024 to 19 goals and 2 assists in 2025.

Sophomores

The Georgia State midfield runs through Pavel Romero-Garmendia. While this was a disappointing season overall for GSU, Romero-Garmendia showed a lot of growth as he established himself as a full-time starter. Across all 16 starts, he played nearly 1,300 minutes in the central midfield. Consistent competitive minutes against top programs like Marshall and West Virginia will benefit his development as he battles in the midfield against talented international prospects.

Freshmen

Matthew Dejianne probably had the second-best freshman season behind Braden Dunham this year. The Sun Belt All-Freshman Team honoree began his college career at the University of South Carolina as an impact sub, appearing in all 16 matches with 5 starts. He brought a great deal of energy and strong hold-up play in his limited time on the field and managed to add two goals and two assists. Both goals came against Winthrop, but his most intriguing minutes may have come earlier in the season against Clemson. With several talented upperclassmen potentially moving on, Dejianne could see himself become more of a featured attacker in 2026.

I have to admit that I did not give Oliver Wagner the credit he was due as a prospect when he joined the Air Force Academy. In his first year as a cadet, Wagner became a day-1 starter in the Air Force Defense and started 16 of the 17 matches he played on the season for nearly 1,500 minutes of total competition. That is extremely impressive for a freshman in any Division-1 program. Admittedly, this was the worst season in a long time for the program, managing only one win and three draws with thirteen losses. For young players like Wagner, that is a lot of opportunities to learn, improve on mistakes, and come back in the next season with the kind of experience that can make him more resilient.

Stephen Hurlock has the worst luck. For such an impressive and athletically gifted player, he has been undercut by injuries over the last year. The University of Virginia seems like a great place for him to work his way back to fitness and compete for meaningful minutes in a high-quality program that fits his strengths. We nearly saw that as he stepped onto the field as a substitute in the College Cup playoffs against Southern Methodist. Within a minute of play resuming, he streaks down the right flank and sees his season ended by a crunching tackle by an SMU defender. The landing looked horrific, and his reaction as he was stretchered off the field was tragic. We wish him a speedy recovery and a better 2026 season.

That wraps up this year’s Atlanta United Academy Alumni season review. Let us know who you are excited about, who you think could return as a Homegrown Player, and which college teams you might add to your watchlist next Fall.