NCAA Division 1 programs are back on campus.
That means it’s time for our Total Football Analysis Preseason Team to Watch.
Just like last year’s data analysis, this article uses football statistics from the previous season to identify some of the top young talents in the USA’s top collegiate division.
The USL Championship, League One, and MLS NEXT PRO, to a lesser extent, are built on the college game.
Scouting departments at MLS and USL clubs are on the lookout for top performers in the college game as they look to build out rosters during the winter months.
They’ll have as much interest in the top performers from a data analytics viewpoint as the coaches and players within the college game.
Our process in putting together this list has changed slightly.
Wyscout segments non-conference and in-conference data, so last year’s preseason team was selected from non-conference data alone.
This year, we have aggregated the data through Power Query, set a 500-minute cut-off for 2023 playing time, and then converted the stats into percentile ranks.
The rationale for the 500-minute minimum is that we are looking for 2023’s top performers, as well as potential breakthrough players who made the most of their rotational minutes.
Once the percentile rankings were in place, we identified players who scored highest within position-specific metrics.
Our selected formation is a 4-3-3.
Let’s get to the players to earn our nominations as the Total Football Analysis D1 Preseason Teams to Watch.
Goalkeeper & Defenders
Right away, we see the contrast in team selections.
With the outside backs, we get players with significant playing time in more rotational roles.
For the centre-backs, we have the more traditional anchors along the back line.
But that’s our objective.
We want to find these regulars with standout performances from the previous season, as well as players poised for a breakthrough.
Goalkeeper: Antreas Hadjigavriel, Senior, Bryant
Hadjigavriel had a dream season for the Bryant Bulldogs.
The goalkeeper took all the minutes in goal, starting 20 games and only conceding six times.
That’s .297 goals against per game.
It’s an almost unfathomable stat, and the Cyprian’s leadership at the back, as well as his fantastic goalkeeping, were critical in the program’s historic season.
In terms of passing volume, most of his data falls slightly ahead of the average.
However, when it comes to efficiency, he’s in the top quartile in the country.
That combination of leadership at the back, goalkeeping excellence, and reliable feet put him in the conversation for the best goalkeeper in NCAA D1 soccer.
Coming anywhere close to a repeat performance is a big ask for Hadjigavriel and the Bulldogs, but with the Cyprian in goal, they have one of the top overall players in the country to guide them at the back.
Outside-Back: Pablo Greenlee, Senior, UCLA
Pablo Greenlee’s data profile pops off the chart.
The UCLA right-back has one of the most complete profiles of any player in the college game.
A right-back who can fly forward and join the attack, he’s rated near the top of every passing and attacking metric.
But he’s no slouch defensively, either.
While he might not have the volume in defensive actions that some of his counterparts have, he rates very highly in each of the win percentage categories.
The Hollywood, California native is primed for the big stage.
“Pablo has an elegant attacking quality from defence. In the mould of the modern outside back, he can attack and create chances in many different ways, along with being good defensively, in the air and in the ability to cover the space behind.” – Ryan Jorden, Head Coach at UCLA.
Outside-back: Keiran Chandler, Sophomore, Connecticut
As a freshman in 2023, Chandler gave the UConn Huskies a top attacking threat top on their left-hand side.
While he doesn’t have the defensive component that Greenlee has, Chandler is every bit the attacking player.
His crossing is exceptional, and he’s a high-volume, high-efficiency passer.
That’s a rare quality at any level, but especially in the collegiate game.
Importantly, last season was only his freshman (1st) year at the NCAA ranks.
As he continues to develop and adapt to the level of play, Chandler has as high a ceiling as any outside-back in the country.
Centreback: Mark O’Neill, Senior, Creighton
O’Neill’s profile on the Creighton men’s soccer website has always listed him as a midfielder.
Perhaps that’s the best framing for his skill set as a centre-back.
Within Creighton’s possession-dominant, uptempo game model, which we covered in a separate analysis, O’Neill plays a significant role in their attack.
While his defensive duel wins are below average relative to the field, we can see his strength is more aligned with the anticipatory side of the game.
He’s one of the top performers in possession, possession-adjusted interceptions, and is dominant in the air, which is typically reliant on establishing position with an early read of the ball’s trajectory.
If his aerial dominance translates to set-piece goals, he will offer one of the most complete packages in the college game.
Centreback: George Macready, Graduate Student, Lipscomb
Speaking of complete, George Macready is about as close as you’ll get at centreback.
The Lipscomb defender enters his graduate season, having played for the Tennessee University last season and the University of Chester in England for four years prior to his arrival in the United States.
He has one of the top passing profiles at the position, plus he adds a threat going to goal.
Defensively, his dual efficiency is average, but his aerial dominance and anticipation, which allow him to snuff out his opponent’s attacks, will be key for Lipscomb.
Midfielders
When selecting our midfielders, we decided to focus on the positional roles that are most common in three-man midfield.
The first is more of a holder, the second box-to-box and the third has a skill set that aligns with your typical #10.
Defensive Midfielder: Nalu Mack, Redshirt Senior, UC Santa Barbara
Mack is a proper defensive midfielder.
The Malibu, California native has grown into his role with UC Santa Barbara and become a key piece in their midfield.
A fantastic defensive presence, he also is one of the most reliable passers at the position.
His passing volume is off the charts, and his efficiency is at or beyond the volume data, meaning he’s near the top of the country.
While he doesn’t get into the box often, when he does, Mac is dangerous.
His aerial ability gives the Gauchos a fantastic target in the box.
Attacking midfielder: Nick Fernandez, Redshirt Junior, Portland
Fernandez may well be the best box-to-box player in the nation.
The Portland Pilots midfielder sits near the top of nearly every passing and defending metric.
The combination of high-volume passing with elite efficiency makes him one of the best overall players in the collegiate game.
When allocating players, we decided to put box-to-box midfielders and your more traditional #10 into the same group and then run the percentile ranking formula.
That may account for his lower numbers in the attacking and shooting statistics, but there’s so much value he adds in these other areas.
Fernandez is the player you want on the ball.
He’s trustworthy and has the top-end talent to pick opponents apart.
Attacking Midfielder: D’Alessandro Herrara, Redshirt Junior, Houston Christian
One of the under-the-radar findings in this data analysis, Herrera is a product of the Houston Dynamo academy who remained in his hometown for college.
The Houston Christian midfielder offers exceptional passing and progression from midfield.
Looking at his heat map, he’s a difficult player to track, constantly finding pockets of space from which he can influence the game.
Despite the fact that he’s more of a true #10, he’s also a player who will put in a shift defensively.
Herrera is one of the exciting underclassmen talents in college soccer.
“Dilo has been instrumental in our attacking midfield role these past two years. His ability to find pockets of space and attack in 1v1 situations makes him a constant threat. We are excited to see how he continues to progress in his junior year!” – Ryan Pratt, Head Coach at Houston Christian.
Forwards
Finally, we have the central attraction, the forwards.
These are the guys who are trusted to add that bit of magic that is so often the difference in a match.
We’re starting with a good one, too.
Centre-Forward: Lineker Rodrigues dos Santos, Senior, Marshall
Rodrigues dos Santos (RDS) is a forward built in the image of his namesake, Gary Lineker.
Much like the Tottenham and Barcelona legend, RDS is a monster in the box.
The Brazilian Lineker also gave us one of the biggest talking points of the offseason, transferring from Memphis to Marshall.
Imagining what RDS will do with the calibre of the services at Marshall is a truly frightening thought.
He’s a top contender for the MAC Hermann Trophy, which goes to the top player in NCAA Division 1 college soccer.
Marshall spent much of last season in or near that #1 spot in the country.
Adding Rodrigues dos Santos to the mix should ensure that status continues in 2024.
“Lineker has had a great start with us this spring, which was so important. He trains like a pro and is intense on both sides of the ball. He’s also a match-winner and has those qualities. On top of that, he has a great name for a striker being names after the great Gary Lineker.” – Chris Grassie, Head Coach at Marshall
Wide Forward: Joseph Melto Quiah, Junior, Dayton
Quiah, a Liberian youth international, did some fantastic work with the minutes he received.
He’s one of the top 1v1 players in the college game, and that’s just started his skill set.
In addition to the threat he offers on the dribble, he also offers a tremendous threat going to goal.
Quiah registered high volume passing statistics, though his efficiency rated closer to the middle of the pack.
He’s a decent defensive player, but it’s really the play-making qualities and threat to goal that set him apart.
Going into his redshirt junior year, Quiah’s primed to take the college game by storm.
“Joseph is a player with an incredible ability to beat his man 1v1 and create chances for himself or his teammates. He’s also extremely good at stretching the game with runs in behind due to his incredible pace. We look forward to him building on a solid 2023 and helping us achieve success again in 2024.” – Michael Lyons, Assistant Coach at Dayton.
Wide Forward: Babacar Niang, Senior, Wake Forest
Rodriguez dos Santos will certainly have competition for the MAC Hermann Trophy.
Niang has all the qualities to push him.
The Wake Forest winger played fewer minutes than anyone else on this list, but when he did play, Niang showed he has one of the most complete skill sets in the game.
An extraordinary dribbler who rates in the top quartile in virtually every passing metric, he’s also a serviceable player in Wake Forest’s high press.
If he comes into preseason camp and shows he’s ready for a big jump in minutes, this could be a special season for the Senegal native.
Conclusion
NCAA Division 1 soccer programs are well into preseason and already starting their friendlies.
As the schedule turns to out-of-conference play in the coming weeks, we’ll have our opportunity to see these players in action and see if they live up to the hype, as well as the data.
In the meantime, based on this NCAA D1 Men’s Soccer Scouting Report, we at least have an idea of the players who are primed to make an impact this season.
Next up, we’ll have Total Football Analysis’ NCAA Division 1 Women’s Preseason Teams to Watch.
