The ’23-’24 FCD Academy season has ended. And while the top four age brackets made the playoffs, none advanced all that far. Yet it remains that the most important thing is for the Academy to continue to produce pro signings.
In the current era – and yes, FCD just had a coaching change, so we’ll see if things change – most future Homegrowns sign hybrid deals. North Texas SC also continues to sign players on straight MLS Next Pro deals.
Since FCD doesn’t differentiate between the two at the time of signing – honestly it’s mainly a technicality – I will continue to lump them together on this list.
While Coach Nico Estevez is gone, the pipeline is still in slow mode “requiring” time in Next Pro. So FCD is content to wait, it seems. It remains unlikely you would see a 15-year Bryan Reynolds-type signing again. Then again, waiting can have a cost, like missing on Julian Eyestone.
This fall we should see the best 2007s beginning to play with North Texas SC. Which ones stick and make an impact will be quite telling. I would have expected some of them to debut already, it is a deep class, but with the load of Homegrowns down at North Texas there just hasn’t been room or need.
Off the List!
There have been some changes from this winter’s list as players moved off for various reasons.
1. Anthony Ramirez – Signed a hybrid deal back in February.
2. Jaidyn Contreras – According to our sources, signed a hybrid deal this summer. The first 2007.
3. Luke Shreiner – Graduating. Heading to Northwestern this fall.
The Contreras signing caught me off guard as he wasn’t on any signing list I had published. I had him about 7th in his class going into last season. But by all reports (I saw him a couple of times myself), he had an amazing season and as a left-footed wing/back he’s got high value. He was moving up my ranks but I still didn’t have him near the tops in his class let alone as the next Hybrid contract. Willingness/desire to sign makes a big difference.
If Shreiner had played more than 1 minute with NTX this spring I might have left him on the list. He had a great Dallas Cup, but no progression at Next Pro.
Remember too that NTXSC has been signing players from other Academies – U19 Leno Orejarena and U17 Isaiah Kaakoush – and leaving them in the youth ranks more than with the Next Pro side. Effectively, they are paid Academy players. But since they are signed they aren’t on this list. But they do impact it.
Potential Summer 2024 FCD Academy Signing List
Time is a BIG factor here. This is about signing soon, not 5 years from now. The next Leo Messi might be an FCD U12 but he won’t be on this list till he’s old enough.
1. Daniel Baran – Wing, 2006 (Previously #7)
Baran is a Class of 2025 so he’s got one more year in the Academy at the U19 level (soon to be U18?) but he’s already made his NTXSC debut (4 games, 163 minutes) after a stellar Dallas Cup. He’s been in some Poland U18 camps.
A pacey, hardworking, left-footed winger with a never-give-up attitude. For me, he’s the last intriguing un-signed 2006 that might rate a Hybrid deal with a strong summer/fall in Next Pro. Right now I would offer him a Next Pro contract if he wants it cause he needs to move past Academy play.
2. Jared Salazar – Wing/Mid, 2006. (Previously #3)
If he’s going to sign the time is now. A Portland commit, he’s graduating and heading out Northwest at the end of the summer.
According to our sources, Salazar turned down a straight Next Pro deal and I don’t think he’s in line for a Hybrid deal. Particularly as he saw 0 minutes this spring with NTX after playing in 6 games (212 minutes) last year.
I admit I thought long about dropping him off this list. Yet I left him on as I think there’s still a chance of a Next Pro contract signing this summer if he decides college isn’t for him. I think he has a shot to be a pro, but FCD is super deep at wing/mid and Salazar hasn’t been impactful enough.
Salazar is a lefty who came up as a 10 and can play wing or 8 as well. Portland U is (probably) getting some top talent this fall.
3. Nico Montoya – Goalkeeper, 2007 (Previously #5)
Montoya has been getting the “next pro keeper” treatment from FCD for about a year now, being in 1st team training last summer (U17) and appearing on NTX benches now and again. I anticipate we’ll again see a lot of him this summer in FCD first-team camp. He’s been in some US U17 camps and is about 6’2″ with a bit more growing time to come.
Missing on the Julian Eyestone signing will likely make FCD more paranoid about getting their next pro-path keeper signed, even if Michael Collodi keeps delivering.
If I’m being honest, a winter 24/25 signing for Montoya feels more likely.
4. Gabriel Mendonca – Attacking Mid, 2007 (Previously #2)
The US-born, Brazil-raised, lefty 8/10 started hot for FCD after joining from Flamengo this season but hasn’t dominated and progressed like I expected. I would have thought he might get some North Texas minutes by now, but he hasn’t.
There were reports that FCD has a sell-on fee for him even though he’s just an Academy player so it seems that pro was the goal. Yet there is a lot of traffic in front of him in the pipe (see Swann below). Was it him or the pathway?
So he falls two spots on the list despite being a quality player.
5. Ian Charles – Center Back, 2007 (Previously Unranked)
Charles is a Puerto Rico U17 from Arlington, Virginia, who joined FCD as a holding-mid back in the 2022-23 season. As a 6 he was fine but for this season he was converted to CB and jumped way up my charts (and lots of other people’s). A recent UCLA commit.
His size (about 6’1” and 190 lbs to my unscientific eye) and soccer quality play much better in the back than they did in midfield. Charles brings good field vision as well from his time in the middle. I expect to see him hit NTXSC this summer.
Yes, center backs take longer to develop, but the physical profile here makes me think he could be one of the rare ones to be a pro at 18 like Justin Che and Chris Richards.
6. Caleb Swann – Linking Mid, 2007. (Previously #6)
For me, Swann was the best 2007 in DFW for years and that might still be the case despite my ranking of players ahead of him in this space. A complete two-way player at the linking-8 position and game controller. He gives off strong Paxton Pomykal-type vibes. He reads the game about a second before everyone else at his level.
I had expected a debut with North Texas SC by now, although he has trained with them. But he’s got Pedrinho, Diego Garcia, Tomas Pondeca, Dylan Lacy, Ale Urzua, Nico Mendonca, Leo Orejarena, and Anthony Ramirez already at NTX who can all play his 8-position. That’s a big crowd even if I rate him ahead of some of those guys long term.
Swann’s committed to Maryland so it’s likely going to take at least a hybrid deal if not full Homegrown to get him. In this new patient FCD era and with their strong push for hybrid deals, this might be a tough one to get across the line.
7. Michael Cortellessa – RB, 2007 (Previously #8)
A skilled player and smart leader with excellent game awareness, Cortellessa often gets the assignment to shut down the opposition’s best winger. He’s been in several USYNTs over the years (U15, U16, U17) and has already committed to Harvard.
Like Swann, I expected him to make a North Texas SC debut this season but right back has a fair number of bodies in the system. (Geovane Jesus, Ema Twumasi, Herbert Endeley, and Malachi Molina.)
I used to joke that Cortellessa was Ryan Hollingshead 2.0 but with his soccer brain, he might be the next Nolan Norris instead. Could his pro position be something other than right back? He’s got the skills.
Then again, Harvard is tough to pass up.
8. Steel Cook – Attacking Mid, 2009. (Previously Unranked)
We’ve been talking for two years about the FCD slowdown in the Academy pipeline. So why have I listed a 2009 (~15 years old) on here?
Cause he does things like this.
Cook is a high-impact-on-the-scoresheet playmaker who can play false-9, false-wing, 10, and even 8. He’s a member of the US U15s. Yes, he’s a ways off but this kid is seriously talented.
More Too Come
The keen-eyed among you may have noticed that I’ve put a 2009 (Cook) on the list before any 2008s.
That’s a combination of the shallow (and underachieving) 2008 class and the talented 2009 group led by Cook who is playing at a higher level (USYNT). There are some 2008s worth considering that will likely make this list in the next couple of signing windows (Andre Saucedo or Zach Molomo perhaps?) but for now the rising star Cook makes the list.
The FCD Academy has a lot of talent in it with every team having players on my potential pro list, some more than others as always.
I always love this list and look forward to the possibility of seeing more of our signings.