A wave of roster moves has swept through the USL Championship over the past two weeks, and there have already been some big free agency moves made as well seeing players like Russell Cicerone head to the Tampa Bay Rowdies and Arturo Ordóñez head to Lexington SC.

That’s the prelude to what’s ahead over the upcoming weeks leading to the 2026 preseason, where some big names from the past season and established stars have the chance to find a new home.

Here are 10 current free agents that could make a big impact in the new year.

1. Cal Jennings – Forward (28)
2025 Season: 30 appearances, 2,094 minutes, 17 goals, 6 assists, +8.57 G+
Career: 153 appearances, 11,065 minutes, 82 goals, 21 assists

There is a level of Gun for Hire to Cal Jennings, but that also makes him a player that any USL Championship club would love to have leading its attack. The forward’s timing and ability to stretch defenses while also providing clinical finishing has put him within range of surpassing Dane Kelly’s 106 career regular season goals before the age of 30, with a career Expected Goals mark of 73.65xG and strike rate of a goal every 134.94 minutes.

There is always a chance Jennings could step up to the next level this offseason – the success of forwards like Milan Iloski, Danny Musovski and Brian White as domestic goalscorers has opened some eyes to the talent that can be found in the USL-C, but if he stays at this level he will be a difference-maker for the club that signs him.

2. Sean Suber – Center Back (25)
2025 Season: 30 appearances, 2,700 minutes, 204 clearances, 62.3% duel success, +5.41 G+
Career: 62 appearances, 5,018 minutes, 306 clearances, 58.4 duel success

In a scenario that’s become familiar for Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC fans over the years, one of their top defenders is moving on after two seasons at the club, with Suber announcing his departure on social media this weekend. The 2025 All-League First Team selection and Devon Kerr’s pick for Defender of the Year heads into free agency as arguably the best defensive prize out there, with his +5.41 Goals Added mark ranking sixth among center backs and the five players above him already locked in at their current clubs.

At 6-foot-1, Suber isn’t the biggest center back, but you could make the comparison to another standout whose first two seasons were spent under the tutelage of Bob Lilley in Sean Totsch, who’s now one of the USL Championship’s legends. At 25 years old, you should certainly expect Suber’s best days to be head of him after assembling a solid foundation in the Steel City.

3. MD Myers – Forward (24)
2025 Season: 27 appearances, 2,069 minutes, 15 goals, 4 assists, +7.08 G+
Career: 60 appearances, 4,531 minutes, 29 goals, 7 assists

Across his two seasons with the Charleston Battery, MD Myers has built a resume as a consummate finisher with his 2025 USL Championship All-League selection certainly deserving after his 15-goal campaign. The youngest player in this group, Myers has an innate ability to get into good positions in the penalty area and put chances away. Over the past two seasons, only Cal Jennings has recorded more regular season goals as that duo picked up where Myers and Nick Markanich left off in the 2024 campaign, and he’s put up the third-highest Expected Goals mark (25.74xG) individually in the league.

If there’s an area where Myers could still grow it’s in his creativity for others. He’s logged only seven assists and 61 chances created – an average of 1.21 per 90 minutes – over his first two seasons in the league. For a player who has put up 47 goals across his first three professional seasons, including 18 tallies for NYCFC II in MLS NEXT Pro in 2023, that’s unlikely to be a big concern.

4. Rubio Rubín – Forward (29)
2025 Season: 17 apppearances, 725 minutes, 4 goals, 3 assists, +3.89 G+
Career: 21 appearances, 995 minutes, 9 goals, 3 assists

It speaks to the wealth of riches the Charleston Battery had in their attacking corps that Rubio Rubín was generally a bench option for the side as he pursued success for club and country with Guatemala throughout the year. Scale up the veteran forward’s numbers, though, and you have a striker that could lead a line to success in the upcoming season.

Rubín’s average of a goal contribution every 103.6 minutes over the past regular season is the most eye-catching number – those numbers were backed up by a 4.2xG and 1.71xA mark and an average of 1.99 Chances Created per 90 minutes. With his scoring pedigree and international experience, Rubín should be a big catch for someone.

5. Augustine Williams – Forward (28)
2025 Season: 30 appearances, 2,434 minutes, 9 goals, 1 assist, +5.84 G+
Career: 254 appearances, 18,217 minutes, 85 goals, 19 assists

You could look at Augustine Williams’ past campaign – where his streak of seasons with double-digit goals came to an end at three after bagging only nine goals in the regular season – as a disappointment, given the fanfare he received upon joining the Hounds prior to the campaign. At the same time, there was something that Williams provided beyond goals that saw him record the highest G+ rating of any player in the team, with his work-rate and willingness to do the defensive work required in the Hounds’ system part of the team’s success.

In general, Williams has been a player that gives you what’s on offer. He’s the active leader in regular season goals in the Championship and his 85 tallies have come at a career 83.48xG mark – give him chances and he’ll put away his fair share. There’s also plenty of experience here, and a big season could push him within range of Dane Kelly’s all-time goalscoring record. That could make a good fit whether he returns to the Hounds or finds new pastures.

6. Mikey Maldonado – Central Midfielder (27)
2025 Season: 30 appearances, 2,370 minutes, 1 goal, 8 assists, +5.21 G+
Career: 62 appearances, 5,057 minutes, 4 goals, 13 assists

North Carolina FC’s top-ranked player by Goals Added – Pedro Dolabella (+5.24) – has already been snapped up by the Tampa Bay Rowdies, but Mikey Maldonado’s two-way ability in open play and set piece quality will make him a valuable addition for someone this offseason. Stepping into the USL Championship for the first time over the past two seasons, Maldonado was one of the breakout stars from NCFC’s USL League One title-winning side after prior stints at Forward Madison FC and North Texas SC.

Maldonado wasn’t always the most efficient ball-winner in midfield this past season – he was 50-50 on overall duels, winning 68 of 136, but his ability to disrupt play put him in the same class as Taylor Davila with a +2.10 Interrupting grade per American Soccer Analysis while ranking fourth among central midfielders overall. Add 47 chances created from set pieces out of 95 chances created overall, with the trend of long throw-ins adding another string to his bow, and you’ve got a really good potential addition.

7. Oalex Anderson – Forward (30)
2025 Season: 20 appearances, 1,071 minutes, 5 goals, 2 assists, +5.12 G+
Career: 67 appearances, 3,944 minutes, 22 goals, 5 assists

It would be easy to look at Oalex Anderson’s top-level numbers for North Carolina FC and be a little underwhelmed, but the St. Vincent and the Grenadines’ track record across the USL Championship and USL League One and his ability to challenge opposing defenses with his speed and one-on-one ability should still make him an attractive attacking option.

Anderson has recorded 17 goals and five assists over the past two seasons having previously averaged 111.7 minutes per goal contributions for NCFC while it ascended in League One, recording 23 goals and 17 assists while helping drive the club to the 2023 USL League One title. While he turned 30 years old this year, there should still be plenty in the tank for the next club to bring Anderson aboard.

8. Florian Valot – Attacking Midfielder (32)
2025 Season: 30 appearances, 2,694 minutes, 2 goals, 8 assists, +5.05 G+
Career: 169 appearances, 13,476 minutes, 24 goals, 36 assists

He might be the oldest player on this list, but the past four seasons Florian Valot has delivered – including tying his career single-season high with eight assists this past campaign – have shown the French playmaker is aging like a fine wine. Since the start of the 2022 season, only Aaron Molloy (27) and Jorge Hernandez (25) have recorded more assists than Valot’s 24, while he’s also notched 186 chances created at an average of 1.66 per 90 minutes.

Valot isn’t just a creator, either. He’s proven solid on the defensive side of the ball, winning 122 tackles at a 61.9% success rate in the past four seasons while also sitting at a 54.3% success rate in duels and recording 124 interceptions and 676 recoveries in 120 appearances. Add in his typical durability – he missed only six minutes of the 2025 regular season campaign – and there’s still plenty on offer here.

9. Mukwelle Akale – Winger (28)
2025 Season: 28 appearances, 2,206 minutes, 4 goals, 6 assists, +4.96 G+
Career: 59 appearances, 4,183 minutes, 7 goals, 11 assists

Since he arrived at New Mexico United, Mukwelle Akale has been a key to pushing the club forward. You could argue – and the numbers would back you up – that the only player that might have had a bigger impact in New Mexico United’s shift from regular playoff presence to serious silverware contender over the past two seasons than Akale is center back Talen Maples, but Akale’s ability off the dribble and creativity in the final third will be an asset for someone new next season.

The right winger has completed 1.53 dribbles/90 minutes across his two seasons with United, ranking tied for fifth in the league with 71 completed dribbles, and that’s helped him log a line of 11 assists, 10.87 Expected Assists, 89 chances created and 17 big chances created. Akale’s finishing could be sharper – his seven goals have come on a 10.98 Expected Goals mark, but his +11.99 Goals Added mark over the past two seasons is only surpassed among free agent wingers by newly-acquired Tampa Bay Rowdies signing Russell Cicerone (+13.71).

10. Arturo Rodriguez – Attacking Midfielder (26)
2025 Season: 28 appearances, 1,909 minutes, 6 goals, 3 assist, +5.17 G+
Career: 130 appearances, 7,891 minutes, 16 goals, 19 assists

Does it feel like an offseason of change in Charleston yet? While he might not have grabbed the headlines in the way some of the club’s players have, Arturo Rodriguez continued his progression to becoming a well-rounded creative midfielder, serving as a key player for the most prolific attack in the league in 2025. Since becoming the first Player of the Year in USL League One history in 2019, Rodriguez has evolved to not only be a creative and scoring threat but become someone who can win possession and serve as a strong link in a side’s defensive structure.

Over the past two seasons, Rodriguez has made 177 recoveries in 53 appearances, including winning possession 37 times in the attacking third which ranks ninth in the league. He’s also logged 82 chances created while having set piece responsibilities primarily handled by Aaron Molloy and Juan David Torres, putting up nine goals and eight assists on 5.43xG and 9.27xA. The 26-year-old might not be a star for his next team, but he can be a key piece for a contender.