PHOENIX – Phoenix Rising FC announced on Monday the club had signed defender Casey Walls ahead of the 2025 USL Championship season. The transaction is pending league and federation approval.

Walls joins Rising having spent the past six seasons with the San Jose Earthquakes, where he signed a Homegrown Player contract with the club at age 16 ahead of the 2019 MLS season. The center back had previously been involved in the U.S. youth national team setup at the U-14, U-15, and U-16 levels after joining the Earthquakes academy in 2017.

The 22-year-old has most recently appeared for The Town FC in MLS NEXT Pro, logging two goals and four assists for the Quakes’ reserve team while making 54 appearances and recording 5,082 minutes of action.

“I'm excited to join Phoenix Rising. After speaking with Pa and the staff, it was an easy decision. This is a club with high standards and big ambitions, and I'm proud to be part of that,” said Walls. “As a center back, getting the chance to work under a coach who's played at a high level in my position was a big factor. I'm here to help the team push for trophies and establish myself as one of the top defenders in the league.”

Walls previously competed in the USL Championship during the 2021 season, making 15 appearances on loan with Austin Bold FC. He recorded one assist in 699 minutes of action for Austin while also notching five chances created.

“Casey brings a lot of experience and leadership to the squad, along with strong footballing quality,” said Phoenix Rising Head Coach Pa-Modou Kah. “Being one of the youngest MLS homegrowns for San Jose, he possesses great potential, and I'm excited to see him showcase that here. I'm really looking forward to seeing what he can do alongside Mo, Pape, and Alex.”