By OkayGoal 
While the NWSL Draft has been eliminated, college soccer is still a hotbed for some of the best young talent in America. A handful of the best players in college represent the future stars of the NWSL and possibly the USWNT down the line. This list is meant to put a spotlight on those players who have the potential to be a future star one day. Here are 10 of the best college soccer players to watch out for this season.
Jordan Nytes – Goalkeeper, Senior, University of Colorado
Jordan Nytes has been an elite keeper for quite some time. Nytes is a two-time Big 12 Goalkeeper of the Year. She won the award once as a freshman at Oklahoma State before winning it again as a junior at her current school, the University of Colorado. Considering she’s been the best goalie in her conference twice and was third-team All-America last year, she’s in line to become the most elite keeper in the nation. Colorado won’t have to worry about any goalkeeping problems this season, that’s for sure.
Leah Klenke – Defender, Senior, University of Notre Dame
GSN’s brand new co-host of The Big Life podcast can do a whole lot more than just host. Klenke made second-team All-ACC as a sophomore and first-team All-ACC as a junior. The ACC is, without question, the deepest soccer conference, and making the all-conference team means more than other Power Five schools. Not only is she highly skilled, but she’s versatile as well, giving Notre Dame big minutes in the midfield as well. This versatility will only benefit her at the next level. She’s going to be on an NWSL roster next year if that’s where she wants to be.
Heather Gilchrist – Defender, Senior, Florida State University
Heather Gilchrist is one of the more successful and experienced college defenders in America. She was a starter on the team that won the National Championship in 2023 and earned third-team All-ACC honors last year. In what is likely her final college season, Gilchrist has a great opportunity on another great team to take a step up and become one of the best defenders in the nation. Expectations for her to make first-team All-ACC this year would not be a stretch.
Mia Bhuta – Midfielder, Junior, Stanford University
Mia Bhuta is an all-star both on and off the pitch. Bhuta just graduated in two years from Stanford and is already on her way to graduate school, which is a feat that is incredibly rare for anyone. Bhuta is now a junior, and based on her past experiences, this is likely her last year at Stanford. She’s already made the College Cup twice and has captained the U-17 USWNT at the World Cup in India. She’s got almost every accolade in her trophy case except for first-team All-ACC and the National Championship. Bhuta is the centerpiece for Stanford this year as they look to get over the hump and get back to national title glory.
Bella Najera – Midfielder, Junior, Michigan State University
Bella Najera has been a key player for Michigan State, and she’s expected to play an even bigger role this season for the Spartans. After winning Big 10 Freshman of the Year in 2023, she didn’t quite produce the same numbers, but Michigan State was still among the Top 25 teams in the nation. Now in year three, the Spartans are sure to rely on Najera to both score and dish out assists for her team this year. If Michigan State is going to compete in the Big 10 this year, it’s because Bella Najera is going to play a big part.
Jordynn Dudley – Forward, Junior, Florida State University
Jordynn Dudley might be the best player in the country. The only thing that will get in her way is injuries, as defenses have struggled to stop her. Dudley had the best season, maybe any freshman has ever had in college soccer. Dudley scored 14 goals with nine assists, which earned her first-team All-ACC, first-team All-American, and ACC Freshman of the Year honors, along with winning the National Championship. It doesn’t get better than that. Last year was still a solid year as she was first-team All-ACC, but only managed to play 15 games due to injury and somehow still led the team in assists with 11, adding nine goals with it. This is likely Dudley’s last year of college, so we need to enjoy watching her dominate. She’s sure to be one of the first players signed to the NWSL or Europe next year.
Izzy Engle – Forward, Sophomore, University of Notre Dame
Izzy Engle took the college soccer landscape by storm last year as one of the best goal scorers in the country as a freshman. Engle played in 22 games but only started in 12 of them, which makes her 19 goals even more impressive. That stat proves Engle is a true goalscorer because she doesn’t need to start every game to score. Being able to score as a sub off the bench when your team needs a goal is just as critical as doing it with starter minutes. Now, as a sophomore, you’d think she’s going to start every game for a team ranked No. 2 in the preseason poll. Engle has set a high bar for herself, but the former ACC Freshman of the Year and First-Team All-ACC player is sure to hit double-digit goals at a minimum this year.
Kate Faasse – Forward, Senior, University of North Carolina
Kate Faasse is the biggest reason why North Carolina ended their National Championship drought. Her 20 goals and four assists from last year are irreplaceable. Those numbers and the national title win were more than enough for her to win the MAC Hermann Trophy as the nation’s best player. Can Faasse replicate what she did last year? It’s going to be a tough ask for her to reach 20 goals with every defense focusing on her, but even if she were to reach the 15-goal mark, it’d be enough to help the Tar Heels on their quest to repeat as National Champions.
Gianna Paul – Forward, Senior, University of Alabama
Gianna Paul has made steady progress year after year in college. After winning SEC Freshman of the Year in 2022, she scored eight goals her sophomore year to match her output from her freshman year, giving her 16 total. Last year, she made the leap and became a star in the SEC, scoring 12 goals. Paul is a two-time first-team All-SEC player and earned first-team All-America honors by United Soccer Coaches. Gianna Paul is one of the best in the country, and Alabama needs her to be at her best if they’re going to be near the top of a tough SEC conference this year.
Faith Webber – Forward, Grad Senior, Utah Valley University
If you’re looking for the best player outside of the Power Five conferences, look no further than Faith Webber of Utah Valley. Webber is easily the most prolific scorer out of the mid-major conferences. In her first year, she scored 14 goals, her second year 16, and then 18 last year, totaling 48 career goals. Webber is sure to do the same again this season, and they’re going to put a few Power Five teams on upset alert. The Wolverines lost a tough one in their conference tournament to end the year sooner than they would’ve liked. Expect Webber and Utah Valley to come out and make a statement this year. The striker has a great chance to get to 20 goals this year, depending on their schedule.
Image via @leah.klenke
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