Since USL League One launched five years ago, there has been a consistent upward pathway for the league’s standouts to the USL Championship. The success of players such as current Charleston Battery midfielder Aaron Molloy or Sacramento Republic FC’s Damia Viader have shown the quality that can be acquired in League One’s ranks, and the potential they have to drive teams further.

This offseason, however, has delivered unprecedented movement into the Championship with 25 former League One players heading directly into Championship clubs – including 10 from North Carolina FC’s League One-title winning squad as it returns to the league – as well as others who previously called the league their home.

Add to that the overseas talent that continues to arrive in the league – and one of the more remarkable signings from the college ranks in the Championship’s history – and you have an incoming class that is ready to make an impact.

Here are 11 players we think you should be paying close attention to.

Trevor Amann, Sacramento Republic FC

There were few better individual stories in the USL last year than that of Trevor Amann, the Westminster, Colo. native who jumped on board with Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC in its inaugural season and became League One’s most unstoppable goalscorer in his second professional campaign. Amann’s 23 regular season goals set a league record, and he added a hat trick in Hailstorm’s first postseason victory to cement his place in club history.

This offseason, that proficiency in front of net saw Sacramento Republic FC come calling for the reigning League One Player of the Year. It will put the 25-year-old in a very different spotlight as the potential center forward for the preseason favorite to lift the Championship’s Players Shield. Amann has shown he has all the tools to succeed, the question will be whether he can match the lofty expectations set out for him.

Ali Coote, Detroit City FC

The path from the League of Ireland to the USL Championship has had its fair share of success stories over the years, including in recent years that of Lee Desmond at Sacramento Republic FC. Detroit City FC will be hoping for similar success for Ali Coote, who joined the club with the aim of bringing an attacking spark to the side that finished with the fewest goals in the USL Championship a season ago.

The 25-year-old is coming off a successful season with Bohemian FC in which he notched six goals and five assists in 30 appearances, producing 45 chances created and a crossing accuracy rate of 25.8 percent. For Le Rouge, the way Coote and fellow new arrival Elvis Amoh combine could end up crucial to the club’s potential for success this season.

Zach Duncan, Memphis 901 FC

It’s a difficult pair of shoes to fill, those of two-time All-League First Team selection Aaron Molloy, but 23-year-old Australian Zach Duncan at least on paper brings a lot to like to Memphis’ midfield for the new season. The Sydney native has represented his country at the U-23 level and brings top-flight experience from the A-League and Danish Superliga with him to his new surroundings.

Duncan might not provide the same set piece quality that Molloy delivered over two seasons in Memphis, but in his most recent stint in the A-League for Perth Glory was solid, winning 22 tackles in 886 minutes at a success rate of 62.9 percent and making 23 interceptions. Providing a solid base for 901 FC’s group should be well within his reach as the side moves to the Western Conference this season.

Allen Gavilanes, Miami FC

In recent seasons, Miami FC has dipped into League One to try and bolster its roster. Last season it found success with Gabriel Cabral, who became a consistent starter as the season went on while notching a pair of goals for the side. The South Florida squad will be hoping another new arrival can have a similar impact this season with the signing of Allen Gavilanes, who makes the move from Greenville Triumph SC after a breakout 2023 campaign as he lands in the Championship for the first time.

Gavilanes notched two goals and nine assists a season ago to lead Greenville to a fifth consecutive postseason berth notching 42 chances created and 46 successful crosses at a 24.2 percent success rate. The 24-year-old is part of a largely reformatted squad under new Head Coach Antonio Nocerino, and that could give him a chance to shine once again.

Mikey Maldonado, North Carolina FC

Some of the North Carolina FC squad that claimed the USL League One title a season ago will bring prior USL Championship experience with them to the squad’s return to the second tier. That isn’t the case for Mikey Maldonado, whose breakout year with NCFC after competing previously for Forward Madison FC could earn him the chance to be part of the club’s starting lineup this season.

Maldonado was a workhorse in the center of midfield for NCFC a season ago, recording almost 3,000 minutes of action and recording 37 tackles won at a 66.1 percent success rate and 168 recoveries while completing 85.7 percent of his 1,178 passes across the regular season and playoffs. There are plenty of new faces at WakeMed Soccer Park this season, but Maldonado should still get his due and opportunities to shine.

Pape Mar Boye, Phoenix Rising FC

In the future, Pape Mar Boye’s decision to sign with Phoenix Rising FC over the reported offer of a Generation adidas contract from Major League Soccer could be viewed as a watershed moment for top college prospects. In the present, it gives Rising FC a 20-year-old center back coming off being named the Defensive MVP at the 2023 NCAA College Cup while helping Clemson University to a title that could step into the side’s starting lineup immediately.

A native of Dakar, Senegal, Mar Boye arrived at the Tigers having competed previously at top prep school Montverde Academy and shone throughout his lone season with the program. The 20-year-old started 20 matches and logged a pair of goals in 1,749 minutes of action while helping the side shut down opponents to the tune of three goals in the final seven games of the season. Mar Boye’s future is likely in Europe, but in Phoenix he has the opportunity to grow quickly in the professional ranks.

Marco Micaletto, New Mexico United

Marco Micaletto will make his USL Championship debut this season five years after he joined the professional ranks as one of South Georgia Tormenta FC’s initial signings for the 2019 USL League One season. In that span, he became one of the top players in League One, earning All-League One honors in both 2020 and 2021, and over the past two years led Columbus Crew 2 to the first MLS NEXT Pro title and a second final appearance a season ago.

The 25-year-old’s creativity in the final third is likely to be key for New Mexico United this season as the side aims to find another level under new Head Coach Eric Quill. Having notched 16 goals and four assists for Crew 2 as an attacking midfielder, this is a big opportunity for Micaletto to shine in front of one of the most passionate fanbases in the league.

Miche-Naider Chery, Oakland Roots SC

For all of us who’ve been connoisseurs of the Concacaf Champions League (or Cup, as it’s now named), the journey is usually as important as the destination. Which brings us to Miche-Naider Chery, who might be a name you recognize from a year ago when he was playing merry hell with Austin FC’s defense.

The Haitian forward recorded a pair of goals as Vioilette FC stunned the MLS club in the first leg of its Round of 16 contest with a 3-0 win. He then also bagged a pair of goals against Leon in the next round, and while that wasn’t enough to send Violette through, a cult hero was born. How that plays out in the USL Championship this season remains to be seen, but it feels like it has the potential to be a classic Oakland Roots SC story.

Arthur Rogers, FC Tulsa

This season won’t be Arthur Rogers’ first in the USL Championship – he featured for Hartford Athletic in the 2020 and 2021 seasons – but the English full back arrives at FC Tulsa as a player with a transformed reputation after two seasons with Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC in USL League One. Coming off back-to-back Defender of the Year awards – say nothing of 20 assists in 64 appearances – the 27-year-old looks set to have a key role at ONEOK Field this season.

Don’t make like this is all about Rogers’ qualities in the final third, either. He was a solid defender for the Hailstorm, making 201 recoveries and 27 interceptions last season as well as solid numbers in tackles (42 / 61.8% success rate) and duels (177 / 55.8% success rate). His ability to deliver quality service for the likes of Phillip Goodrum in particular, however, make this a signing worth watching closely.

Kazaiah Sterling, Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC

After the 2023 season he put together, there’s rightful hype for Trevor Amann’s move to Sacramento Republic FC – just see earlier in this story for one. But over the past two seasons there might not have been a more consistent forward in USL League One than Kazaiah Sterling, who makes the move to Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC from South Georgia Tormenta FC having won the league title in 2022 and having bagged 30 goals in the past two campaigns.

Only Amann’s 31 goals top Sterling’s total, and among players with at least 20 goals in the past two seasons the former Tottenham Hotspur forward tops the lists in strike rate, averaging a goal every 119.4 minutes, as well as shooting accuracy (66.7 percent) and shot conversion rate (25.6 percent). It’s a big ask to replace reigning Championship Golden Boot winner Albert Dikwa, but Sterling has the tools to potentially succeed.

Karifa Yao, Rhode Island FC

At both Club de Foot Montreal and Vancouver Whitecaps FC, Karifa Yao wasn’t quite able to find a way to consistent First Team minutes. When he went on loan with Cavalry FC in the Canadian Premier League, however, he was viewed as one of the league’s top prospects – rated No. 16 in the CPL50 in the 2021 season – and that’s what piques our interest as he arrives at Rhode Island FC.

After a season in which he made 11 appearances overall across the Whitecaps and WFC2 in all competitions, this feels like a reset for the 23-year-old center back. While there’s solid experience ahead of him in the RIFC squad, the potential for growth and opportunities to play make Yao a player that could need to have an impact this season if Rhode Island is to accomplish a playoff berth at the first attempt.