Major League Soccer announced on Wednesday its list of eligible players for the variety of “re-entry mechanisms” it employs to allocate players to clubs each offseason, from full free agents to end-of-year waivers to players who’ll be subjected to another draft for their rights.

It also gave clubs in the USL Championship a potential shopping list from which they can try to pull in new talent as part of their roster construction for the new season.

There are some names that should jump out, including those who’ve spent time on loan in the league in the past campaign or seasons prior. Two years ago, you could find a name like Nick Markanich or Danny Trejo on this list.

For our purposes, we’re going to limit our options to players who are currently 24 years old and younger. The idea? We’re looking for that next player who’s just in need of the right situation to flourish at an age where they could still be upwardly mobile in the bigger picture.

Apologies, then, to players like Ryan Spaulding, Rubio Rubin, Derek Dodson or Nathan Fogaca, all of whom would also be terrific adds for a club this offseason.

So, let’s get started.

Rida Zouhir – Midfielder (21)

From being nominated for the USL Championship’s Young Player of the Year award while on loan with San Antonio FC in 2023 to a shorter but impressive stint with Birmingham Legion FC, there is plenty to like about what Zouhir can bring to the center of midfield. The former Club de Foot Montreal player recorded 10 goals and four assists in 2,499 minutes between his two prior stops in the league and showed improvement in his ball-winning and passing in his stint in Birmingham. At 21 years old, the Montreal native still feels like he has untapped upside that the right team will be able to take advantage of.

Jeremy Garay – Midfielder (21)

If it feels like Jeremy Garay has been around for a while, consider that he made his debut for Loudoun United FC in the 2019 USL Championship season. The El Salvador international seemed to plateau a little during his loan stint with El Paso Locomotive FC this season, but he’s still got a passing accuracy rate of 89.8 percent, more than 100 professional appearances and 6,443 professional minutes under his belt while still being only 21 years of age. If Garay is going to find another level, his defensive work is going to need to get better if he’s going to continue to be placed in a central midfield role, but it feels like there’s something positive to be gained for a side if they can figure out where Garay will fit best.

Moses Nyeman – Midfielder (21)

There was some real hype around Moses Nyeman a couple of years ago – after making his pro debut for Loudoun United FC in 2019, there was an offseason training stint with Borussia Dortmund, but after he took the plunge in heading to Belgium with SK Beveren – where he didn’t make an official appearance – nothing seems to have gone right. Still, there’s no time like the present to get things moving in the right direction. While Nyeman might be undersized being listed at 5-foot-5, he’s got solid underlying numbers on the defensive side of the ball from his prior time in the USL Championship. In his 2019 season he completed 86.6 percent of passes as well as 19 of 26 dribbles and defensively won 58.3 percent of duels and 85 percent of tackles in 871 minutes of action. That still jump off the page as a reason for optimism.

Victor Bezerra – Forward (24)

After starring for the Chicago Fire II previously, Bezerra didn’t quite find the same success during his loan spell at Detroit City FC this past season. The Chicago native recorded three goals in 634 minutes of action and didn’t contribute a whole lot otherwise, notching only seven chances created and completing only 3 of 12 dribbles, which put other players ahead of him in Le Rouge’s pecking order. There could be intriguing for a club over his success with the Fire II, however, where he recorded 11 goals at a strike rate of 126.8 mins/goal and contributed three assists. Unlocking anything close to that production would be a win for someone.

Brandan Craig – Defender (20)

There have been few more interesting case studies of player perception than following Brandan Craig’s path over the last few years. He’s been highly regarded within U.S. Soccer circles – in addition to being a leader on the 2022/23 cycle for the U.S. U-20 Men’s National Team, he was also called into training camp for the Men’s Olympic Team last year to get a look ahead of this past summer’s tournament. That’s not always measured up to his progress with the Philadelphia Union, where he captained the Union II as a 16-year-old, but made only one First Team appearance before going on loan with El Paso Locomotive this past season. Everything says there’s talent here to be untapped – Craig’s howitzer of a left foot is a serious weapon – but the question is who’s going to figure it out?

Grayson Doody – Defender (22)

Las Vegas Lights FC benefitted from the loanees it brought in to supplement its roster overhaul this past season and the midseason acquisition of Grayson Doody was one of those that paid off well. The full back contributed one goal and four assists in 16 appearances for the Lights on loan from Club de Foot Montreal while completing 15 of 23 dribbles and posting duel success rate of 59.4 percent and a tackle success rate of 64.7 percent. As my friend John Morrissey points out, assists can be fickle things to record, but Doody’s Expected Assists mark of 2.8xA points to his potential to be a strong two-way performer moving in the 2025 campaign.

Bertin Jaquesson – Forward (23)

The big question you want to ask about Bertin Jaquesson is how to value his production. The French forward scored five goals and two assists in eight appearances for Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC this past season on loan from Real Salt Lake, a run that helped the side reach the playoffs. Factor in a hat trick against Miami FC, though, and those numbers don’t seem quite as gaudy. That could make Jacquesson a bit more of a project – and closer to his numbers for Real Monarchs SLC indicated – than you might expect, but still one a club could feel confident taking on.

Delentz Pierre – Defender (24)

If you put Delentz Pierre’s full body of work under the spotlight while on loan to Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC from Real Salt Lake last season, it showed an up-and-down campaign where there were bright moments – including a Goal of the Year contender – but underlying numbers that weren’t always consistent, which resulted in him earning only a +1.20 Goals Added mark across. And yet, the last impression Pierre gave with a dominant display defensively in the USL Championship Final before his first-half substitution due to an apparent head injury was outstanding. If that’s the sort of level Pierre can find consistently next year, he could be a good addition for someone’s central defense.

Nick Firmino – Midfielder (23)

Since he joined Atlanta United FC from League One’s Union Omaha before the 2022 season, Nick Firmino has been caught in a sort-of limbo between earning his chances for the First Team and being relegated to the reserves. The Brazilian recorded three goals in three games for Atlanta in the U.S. Open Cup this past season – including scoring against Indy Eleven in the Boys in Blue’s Quarterfinal victory – and bagged three goals and three assists in MLS NEXT Pro. There’s the potential here waiting for someone to pick up – in his full season in the Championship with Atlanta United 2 in 2022, he put up a +5.58 Goals Added mark – as Firmino enters his prime.

Hayden Sargis – Defender (22)

Maybe the best way to illustrate how Hayden Sargis’ young career has gotten off track since his transfer from Sacramento Republic FC to the New England Revolution prior to the 2022 season is this: In his two seasons with Republic FC, Sargis posted a +4.41 Goals Added mark in the USL Championship, since then he’s accumulated a +2.99 Goals Added mark across loan stints with Loudoun United, Phoenix Rising and Las Vegas Lights. A finalist for the 2020 USL Championship Young Player of the Year award after graduating from Republic FC’s Academy, Sargis still has the potential to become a strong center back as he looks to continue his path, the question will be where.

Michael Baldisimo – Midfielder (24)

A former Vancouver Whitecaps FC Homegrown signing – during which time he made 13 appearances in the USL Championship for Whitecaps FC 2 – Michael Baldisimo gradually fell out of favor with the San Jose Earthquakes, where he made only two appearances over the past campaign. The central midfielder made 50 appearances across all competitions for the Whitecaps, though, and that level of experience and ability to break up and connect play could be useful. It’s likely a team in the Canadian Premier League will come calling – brother Matthew is already at York United – but Baldisimo could be a useful central piece.

Jordan Perruzza – Forward (23)

Starring for Toronto FC II, Jordan Perruzza was one of the stories of USL League One’s inaugural season. He finished second in the league with 15 goals in 24 appearances – averaging a goal every 120.6 minutes – to earn All-League First Team honors. After a loan stint in the abbreviated 2020 season with San Antonio FC in the USL Championship where he scored three goals in six appearances, he was moved onto a First Team deal with TFC. Things haven’t gone quite to plan since then for the center forward – he’s scored only eight goals in the past four seasons competing in MLS, USL League Two, the USL Championship and Canadian Premier League – but the promise of those early years is still there and could be reclaimed.  

Sebastian Anderson – Defender (22)

As Colorado Springs Switchbacks’ current leadership arrived in 2021, they got a major assist in the addition on loan of Sebastian Anderson from the Colorado Rapids. The then-19-year-old recorded six assists in 28 appearances on a 5.01 Expected Assists mark and 46 chances created while also recording 27 interceptions and 48 tackles won at a 63.2 percent success rate, adding up to a +5.14 Goals Added mark. That was good for sixth among full backs and only a shade behind that year’s Young Player of the Year, a guy called Jonathan Gomez (+5.17). Since then, Anderson hasn’t quite been able to translate his potential into a regular spot for the Rapids, but at 22 years old he could become a valuable pick-up that can provide a combination of attacking verve and defensive solidity.

Joey Skinner – Defender (21)

There could be a potential return to his roots at hand for Joey Skinner. Before attending Clemson University and being a Generation adidas signing by Major League Soccer after his sophomore season he was a USL Academy product for the Charlotte Independence, where he was named in the matchday squad but didn’t make his debut in the USL Championship. At the same time, Skinner has been a solid full back in MLS NEXT Pro – in 2023 he posted a +4.87 Goals Added mark in the reserve league while recording five goals and three assists – and this past season made two late-game appearances for Nashville SC. The 21-year-old could be a good add for a side aiming for a new left back.