Charlotte FC's Top 15 Prospects

Updated by Brian Maurer - 7/26/2026

Will Cleary (Photo courtesy of Joel Franquiz/TopBin90)

Here is our running list of Charlotte FC's top prospects. This list is based on a combination of potential, contract situation, and first-team opportunity.

The ranking is not solely based on potential or who we think has the highest ceiling based on their talent. We also key in on who is getting professional opportunities (especially with the First Team). This makes the pathway to first-team minutes equally pivotal to a player's ranking.

Here is our Charlotte FC prospect top 15 (updated monthly):

1. Will Cleary (23) - RB/LB - no change in rankings

Will Cleary, 23, was an MLS SuperDraft selection in the first round of the 2026 draft out of Stanford University and has rapidly grown in favor of manager Dean Smith. He has made two appearances this season now, with a 15-minute cameo against Toronto FC and a place in the starting 11 against New England Revolution following the knock to starting right back Nathan Byrne. His performance against New England earned him Man of the Match, with more eyes on him for the rest of this season.

7/26 - Cleary was back in the starting lineup again in Charlotte FC’s first game back and earned a 30-minute appearance against RBNY. Head Coach Dean Smith is showing trust in the young fullback on either wing, which highlights how much promise he has and how close he is to carving out a consistent week-in-week-out role.

2. Rodolfo Aloko (19) - RW - no change

The 19-year-old Beninese winger showed excellent attacking ability for Crown Legacy earlier this year, with eight goals and two assists in six appearances, which rewarded him with some first-team appearances. While he has not gotten on the scoresheet for the First Team, he has netted two assists in eight appearances in all competitions for The Crown. With the departure of Wilfried Zaha this summer, it may open up more room in the starting 11 for the young winger. He was called up to the Benin National Team for friendlies against South Sudan and Togo during the May/June window.

7/26 - Aloko continues to earn substitute appearances with the First Team and looks to be the first-choice right wing substitute. He could see his role shift once all of Charlotte’s summer transfer moves are made.

3. Aron John (20) - CM - no change

The 20-year-old homegrown midfielder has been a stalwart in the Crown Legacy team with 52 appearances so far, netting 9 goals and 14 assists. A Charlotte native, John joined the Charlotte FC Academy at the age of 16 and earned the first-ever Charlotte FC Academy Player of the Year award. He finally burst into the first team a bit this year, finally making his debut in the first home game of the season against Austin on March 9. Since that appearance, he has been featured on the bench most weeks. John was called up to the USYNT U20 camp in Bulgaria for two friendlies against Georgia and North Macedonia during this upcoming May/June window.

7/26 - John looked primed to get a call-up with USYNT this summer to play in the U20 Concacaf Championship, but unfortunately the young midfielder has a shoulder injury. It feels like every time John is starting to build up some serious momentum, he has been picking up injuries. Once he returns to full fitness, it will be important to watch how he is doing mentally as he keeps having setbacks halting his momentum.

4. Nimfasha Berchimas (18) - LW - no change

18-year-old American winger Nimfasha Berchimas hasn't featured for Charlotte FC since 2024, but has been highly regarded as a player to watch since he signed his first contract with the club in 2020 at the age of just 14 years and 268 days old, becoming the sixth-youngest player in MLS history to sign a professional contract at the time. For Crown Legacy this season, he has made 11 appearances with seven goals and one assist to his name, featuring in 88% of possible minutes for the team. Berchimas was called up to the USYNT U19 domestic camp that is happening during this May/June window.

7/26 - Berchimas looks fully recovered from the injuries he was dealing with last season and has carried the momentum from the MLS NEXT Pro season this year straight into this summer’s USYNT camp. He started in the USYNT’s first game in the U20 Concacaf Championship against Haiti, and while he didn’t score, he had a hand in a lot of the team’s attacking threat both on the ball and with his off-ball pressing.

5. Nathan Richmond (22) - Winger - (+1)

22-year-old Nathan Richmond has made a name for himself with Crown Legacy this season as a playmaker, with eight assists and three goals in 12 appearances. The former Clemson Tiger has grown in his role with Legacy, playing not only as a winger but also as an attacking midfielder, showing versatility to go along with high-quality playmaking.

7/26 - Richmond has been absolutely on fire all year and looks primed to be an MLS NP Best XI candidate based on his performances in his rookie campaign. Currently, he is tracking to have double-digit goals and assists (currently at 7g/9a per FotMob). If he hits those marks, he would be the first Crown Legacy player to hit 20 goal contributions in a season.

6. Hugo Mbongue (21) - CF - (-1)

21-year-old Canadian international Hugo Mbongue came to Charlotte on a free transfer from Toronto in February and hit the ground running with Crown Legacy, netting eight goals and three assists in 11 appearances.

7/26 - Mbongue is another Legacy attacker who has been on a tear for most of this season, but the forward was out with a foot injury and is now working his way back into the squad with 45-minute appearances in back-to-back weeks, and scored his ninth goal of the season against RBNY II.

7. Jack Neeley (21) - CB - (+1)

21-year-old American centerback Jack Neeley is currently on loan at Charlotte Independence, but has been a member of the Charlotte FC family for a while, with 74 appearances for Crown Legacy and four cameo appearances with the First Team. He was the club's third homegrown player to sign a contract in March of 2023.

7/26 - Neeley has been bouncing around between the First Team, Legacy, and a short loan spell with Charlotte Independence this year. Feels like he is finding his footing again with recent starts back with Legacy. Difficult to say what the next jump for him is as he is pretty far down on the depth chart with the First Team, but also feels like he has started to “graduate” from the NEXT Pro level.

8. Andrew Johnson (22) - CB - (+3)

22-year-old former Cornell defender Andrew Johnson was drafted in the second round of the 2025 MLS SuperDraft and has burst into the Crown Legacy team this year, playing 92% of possible minutes in 11 appearances and even contributing two goals from the backline. 

7/26 - Johnson is another SuperDraft pick who has hit the ground running in his rookie campaign, earning a ton of MLS NP minutes (second most on Crown Legacy in 2026). Like Neeley, the former Cornell defender could find it difficult at the moment to make the progression to the First Team with Morrison Agyemang already eating up a lot of the opportunity at that level. Johnson is still very new to the professional game and has plenty of time to develop and looks to be taking this opportunity in stride.

9. Willian Sangoquiza (20) - CB - no change

Willian Sangoquiza is a 20-year-old Ecuadorian defender who is just beginning to break through in the Charlotte system with 32 appearances for the Crown Legacy, including more consistent minutes for the club this season. He has not featured since March 22 for the club, as he is currently out injured, but was named as the captain at the outset of the season.

7/26 - At the beginning of 2026, Sangoquiza was a name to watch as it looked like he was making some serious progress during preseason. He had earned first-team reps and was then named Legacy team captain for his leadership on and off the field. An injury setback has kept him off the field for a while, but he has made a quicker-than-expected recovery and earned a 45-minute start against RBNY. The question will be how quickly he can get back to building on the momentum he started 2026 with. Upside for Sangoquiza is he looks to be very flexible with where he can line up on a backline.

10. Mikah Thomas (21) - LB - newly added to list

Thomas was sent out on loan with Indy Eleven to try and get some additional reps in USL; however, he only made one start for the club and has since come back to rejoin Crown Legacy. Since rejoining the NEXT Pro side this summer, he has made five starts and will be one to watch as this is now his second year in the Charlotte FC system after the former UConn Husky was selected in the MLS SuperDraft.

11. Adrian Mendoza (18) - CM - newly added

Mendoza is another intriguing candidate to keep an eye on as he is an Academy Graduate on a gap year who is earning serious reps with Crown Legacy in 2026. The midfielder appears to be on a similar track as John was in 2024, and it will depend on whether he can continue earning consistent minutes down the stretch and into the playoffs. He looks like a potential frontrunner to be the next academy player to earn a pro contract from the Charlotte Academy, as he is leading all Academy players without a contract in NP minutes in 2026.

12. Daniel Longo (21) - CM - (+1)

21-year-old Daniel Longo was signed in February of this year after impressing in his 40 appearances with UNC Greensboro. The midfielder has made 10 appearances for Crown Legacy, registering two assists and playing 40% of possible minutes.

7/26 - Longo was signed after playing college at UNCG and has been getting consistent reps all season, making double-digit starts. The midfield at the NP level looks pretty crowded with academy players and international signings, so we will have to wait and see how he continues to face up against the rest of the player pool at his position. Continuing to earn regular minutes and starts is a great first step.

13. Andrej Subotic (19) - CM - (-6)

Crown Legacy paid a fee of 1.5 million euros to sign Serbian international Subotic in January of 2025 from Cukaricki in the Serbian league, with little to show for it so far in the U.S. He has played a possible 38% of minutes for Crown Legacy with four assists in the eight appearances he has made so far. The best is yet to come for the young midfielder.

7/26 -  Subotic made it back on the field after several injury setbacks and little knocks throughout the spring. He is an international talent who could make a jump back up this list if he can stay healthy and earn more minutes down the stretch.

14. Baye Coulibaly (20) - CM - (-4)

20-year-old Malian midfielder Coulibaly joined the organization via Crown Legacy FC from Croatian side NK Kustosija Zagreb on Dec 18, 2024, for a reported fee of 2 million euros. A prospect for the future, he helped Mali place third at the 2023 U-17 World Cup and has found himself featuring consistently with Crown Legacy this season. He has played 92% of possible minutes this season, making nine appearances. 

7/26 - Coulibaly is another international signing who could easily see himself climbing back up Charlotte’s prospect list down the stretch, but he has picked up a couple of red cards this summer. Being inconsistent in a crowded position group is tough for young players who tend to have lots of ups and downs. The talent is clearly there as he was brought in on a hefty fee and is taking a First Team U22 Initiative spot. If he can show a little more consistency down the stretch, he is one to watch at Legacy as they push for the top spot in the conference.

15. Wyatt Holt (17) - CB - newly added

Holt made his MLS NP debut at 15 last season and has 10 appearances this year after just turning 17 in the spring of this year. He is one of several defenders earning rotated starts right now, but it looks like there is an opportunity to push into a more consistent role down the stretch if he takes his chances. This would be a big statement for the young prospect as there are several defenders ahead of him on this list he would need to catch, but that’s the name of the game.

Stats via FBref, FotMob, and Transfermarkt