The NCAA Division I soccer season kicks off this week, with multiple perennial powers starting their campaigns on the 20th. For decades, the college game has been an oddity, yet it has consistently produced talent for both Major League Soccer and, occasionally, European leagues. The level of play can be inconsistent, and the clock and substitution rules make for unfamiliar viewing (and confusing data), but the result is still an exciting, back-and-forth competition loaded with talent.
For New York City Football Club fans, there's extra excitement this year. Several academy products have already been drafted by NYCFC but returned to college for the 2026 season, their pro rights still on the club's books. These are players who could make an impact soon, or further down the line. Here are the players to watch:
Draftees Back in College:
The MLS SuperDraft has evolved in recent years, as sophomores have become eligible for the draft while retaining their college eligibility after being selected. New York City's draft picks have been no exception: current first-team player Arnau Farnos played a season for Oregon State after being selected by the club in the 2025 SuperDraft, before signing a first-team deal in 2026.
There are four players in college soccer this season whose signing rights are still held by NYCFC; since three of them are in the ACC, that may be the conference to watch.
Ransford Gyan, AM (Clemson)
2026 SuperDraft 1st Round, Pick 27
Of the four, none might have a bigger profile than Ransford Gyan. Gyan won the Gatorade National High School Player of the Year award twice, in 2023 and 2024, the first player ever to do so. NYCFC's own Jack Harrison, a SuperDraft selection, won it just once, in 2015. Gyan then left New Jersey for Clemson University, where he's been a dominant playmaker over the last two seasons. His diminutive stature and technical excellence stand out on tape; he's a fun player to watch.
If he makes the jump to professional soccer after his junior year, it would make sense for New York City FC to make him the creative engine of the reserve team. Gyan is a New Jersey native, and as a swashbuckling 10, he's the kind of player who could fill seats for a rebranded NYCFC II team playing in Edison, New Jersey.
Luka Nikolai, RB (UNC Chapel Hill)
2026 SuperDraft 3rd Round, Pick 87
Nikolai is a rising senior out of Germany. He spent his youth at the Borussia Mönchengladbach academy, the same club where NYCFC products Joe Scally and Giovanni Reyna played. After a two-year stint at James Madison University, he transferred his junior year to UNC, a step up in quality of play, after which he was selected 87th out of 90 players. His selection this low is surprising; he was one of the best attacking wingbacks in college soccer, leading his team in shots and creating chances at an exceptional rate. At the same time, his international status and his plans to return to college may have lessened his immediate value. Either way, the Pigeons got a steal. Right wingback may be one of the tougher positions to break into the first team, but Nikolai certainly has the skills to try.
AJ Smith, ST (Virginia)
2025 SuperDraft 3rd Round, Pick 78
AJ Smith was drafted in the 2025 SuperDraft after barely playing for UVA; the selection was a flier on a physically talented prospect who had dominated lesser competition in the junior college circuit before transferring to NCAA DI soccer. He had played fewer than 400 minutes for the Wahoos before NYCFC selected him with the 78th pick in the draft, in large part due to being injured in the 2024 season. His extended recovery, along with the rise of freshman All-American and future Generation Adidas Nicholas Simmonds (1st Round, Pick 3 2026 SuperDraft), led to him playing only 680 minutes in 2025.
Despite his relatively underwhelming performances at UVA, there is still a reason that NYCFC was willing to spend a draft pick on him, essentially sight unseen; the 6’4” forward has tremendous physical strength and speed along with a European development pedigree from his academy years in Denmark. If he’s finally fit enough to be a regular starter in college, he should be able to put his best foot forward.
Joey Mueller, M/D (Central Florida)
2026 SuperDraft 3rd Round, Pick 71
Mueller was a surprising pick for the club; at UCF, in a weaker conference, he never developed a clear standout skill. He has good size and projects as either a midfielder or a center back at the next level. Before college, he primarily played as an attacking midfielder, but he's drifted deeper as his college career continues.
Academy Kids in College:
New York City also has Youth Academy products worth watching as they continue their careers in college. Dante Polvara, Will Sands, and Prince Amponsah have all made that leap from the academy to the pros via college. The following names could be next in that line:
Julien Lacher, W (Princeton)
Year of Birth: 2007
Lacher was one of the brightest young players on NYCFC II in 2025, but heading into the 2026 season, he looked elsewhere for minutes. Whether NYCFC declined to offer him a contract or he turned one down, Lacher signed with the new-look New York Cosmos as they started their first season in USL League One. Despite strong performances in MLS Next Pro, Lacher never cracked the Cosmos' starting lineup. He and the Cosmos mutually agreed to part ways, and he declared his intention to play for Princeton, a team ranked in the top 10 in the 2026 preseason poll.
As one of the top young performers in MLS Next Pro, Lacher should make a comfortable transition to the college level, especially in the Ivy League. He was one of the most dynamic ball carriers in the developmental league, placing 4th overall in progressive carries and 2nd in completed take-ons in 2025. He's box-office with the ball at his feet and might eventually make his way back to the coop.
Alex Yagudayev, GK (Villanova)
Year of Birth: 2006
Yagudayev is another player with significant experience with NYCFC II. He's one of the youngest players to have started between the posts for NYCFC II. He entered college as one of the better shot-stoppers in MLS Next Pro. He struggled to establish himself as Villanova's starter, engaging in a back-and-forth minutes battle with fellow New Yorker Sebastian Cutler DeJesus, but by the end of his sophomore year, he'd claimed the starting job outright.
Villanova has struggled over the past couple of years. Yagudayev will need to be outstanding for his team to have a chance week in and week out. He'll need to make big saves often. His shot-stopping will decide whether Villanova has a season worth watching. He faces off against Lacher's Princeton to open the season.
Goalkeeper is often a position with a long developmental curve. Yagudayev saw plenty of developmental minutes with the reserve team and has continued to hone his craft in college. He could be an excellent option to join the goalkeeping stable, as NYCFC will need depth in goal if Matt Freese eventually departs.
Other Academy Players to Watch:
Kelvin Da Costa, CM, Syracuse (Year of Birth: 2006)
Kaief Tomlinson, CM, St. John's (Year of Birth: 2006)
Evan Lim, CM, Notre Dame (Year of Birth: 2008)
Local Team to Watch: Columbia University
Of all the college teams that play their trade in the five boroughs, none may be better this year than the Lions of Columbia. The team has no former academy prospects on its roster, but it does have some big-time pro prospects in the starting group. Left center back Joe McDaid (2005) was one of the best defenders in the NCAA last season, and his twin brother Jack (2005) leads the attack as the starting No. 10. Sophomore defensive midfielder Amir Yahalom (2006) was electric in his minutes as a freshman in 2025. If he keeps this up, he'll be a major pro prospect. Columbia's soccer matches are free to attend at Rocco Commisso Soccer Stadium; impressive in a city where it's hard to get anything for free. ❧
Image: Pigeon mask copied and pasted onto John Belushi