There has been no bigger individual story in the USL Championship this season than the rise of Charleston Battery forward Nick Markanich.

On the field, he’s on the verge of league history. This past Saturday against Sacramento Republic FC he bagged his 25th goal of the regular season, equaling the single-season record held by Cameron Lancaster and Hadji Barry.

Off the field, his next destination has already been determined. The 24-year-old will join LaLiga 2 club CD Castellón this offseason after a six-figure transfer fee was agreed between the clubs for his acquisition.

“When it first came up, I was shocked and excited about it,” Markanich told CBS Sports last week. “I was like, ‘Yeah, I’m definitely interested in it, let’s keep talking to them and go from there.’ And then they just kept coming back, and it started getting more serious.”

It’s remarkable. It’s also a very USL story.

• EARLY CHALLENGE: Don’t forget, the Battery weren’t Markanich’s first professional stop. He’d spent a season with FC Cincinnati after getting drafted in 2022 and got limited minutes before having his option declined at the end of his first pro campaign.

• FIND A WAY: He came to Charleston as a trialist in 2023, earned his spot in the squad, and took his opportunity with aplomb. It’s been onward and upward since, with Markanich having scored a remarkable 36 goals in 61 games for the Battery in the Championship regular season and playoffs.

It’s a story that’s starting to become familiar. Remember, former Orange County SC star Milan Iloski had almost an identical path, jumping on board with OCSC after a stint with Real Salt Lake in which he lacked top-flight opportunity before exploding for his own Championship Golden Boot in 2022 and a move to FC Nordsjælland last offseason.

As quickly as talented players get discarded by MLS clubs sometimes, teams in the USL Championship are showing they can offer a different path to success.

Markanich is the latest to take his opportunity, and Battery President Lee Cohen believes there’s even more to come when he gets to Spain. That’s why the Battery ensured there was a sell-on clause included in its transfer agreement with Castellón, as it had in its transfer of Fidel Barajas with Real Salt Lake, which turned in a major deal when the 2023 Championship Young Player of the Year was sold to Chivas de Guadalajara this summer.

“We do believe that transaction is going to happen,” Cohen told Mike Watts and Devon Kerr on USL All Access. “We do believe that Nick will be successful, and we are going to be able to benefit from it.”

There’s still a record to be set, and silverware to be won, but Markanich’s future has never looked better.

For others looking to find their way, it’s a story readily within reach given the right opportunity.

This is an excerpt from The Rondo, the USL Championship's free weekly newsletter. Sign up here to get it in your inbox every Tuesday.