Photo: DJR Photography
The 2026 MLS preseason is fast approaching, and with it, many newcomers from the college rankings will be competing for professional contracts. Several players from the college ranks have already earned their professional contracts as Generation Adidas players. Here is a look at the players who have earned GA contracts and the clubs that drafted them to give a framework of their path to minutes in their rookie seasons:
Nikola Markovic – NC State – Defender – Drafted 1st overall by DC United
Nikola Markovic (pictured above) played two seasons at NC State and will now ply his trade for DC United after being selected first overall in the 2026 SuperDraft. The downside to being drafted this high is that Markovic is stuck on a team in full-on rebuild mode. The upside for the young prospect is that he will have an opportunity to prove that he can be a key piece to the project underway. While the minutes may be hard to come by initially, as DC acquired MLS veteran Sean Nealis, the opportunity should still be there for him to get minutes on the field with a good preseason.
Ricky Louis – Georgia Southern – Forward – Drafted 2nd overall by FC Dallas
FC Dallas has been a good landing spot for draft picks the last couple of years, and with room on their supplemental roster, it seems like there should be every opportunity for Ricky Louis to compete for minutes out of the gate. All Louis needs to do for motivation is to see how former First Round draft pick, Logan Farrington, was able to get his professional career off the ground quickly two years ago. If he can show up well in preseason the same way he did at the MLS combine, he should feel that an opportunity for First Team minutes is there for him during his rookie campaign.
Nicholas Simmonds – Virginia – Forward – Drafted 3rd overall by FC Dallas
Nicholas Simmonds is in a similar situation to Louis. Drafted high by FC Dallas, a team that looks willing and eager to invest in collegiate domestic talent. Simmonds impressed at the MLS combine, so he should feel motivated that an opportunity to find the field with the First Team is there if he can get the job done during preseason.
Kwaku Agyabeng – Clemson – Midfielder – Drafted 4th overall by Sporting Kansas City
Kwaku Agyabeng earned a Generation Adidas contract after his standout freshman season at Clemson and will now look to carve out minutes with Sporting Kansas City. While KC struggled in 2025, the upside for Agyabeng is that they are doing an overhaul of their roster and also just recently hired a new coach. This should give the young midfield prospect an opportunity to impress out of the gate if he can hit the ground running in preseason.
Richie Aman – Washington – Midfielder – Pre-signed senior drafted 8th overall by DC United
DC United acquired the 8th pick from New England in exchange for general allocation money, which is a good sign for Richie Aman that the club sees a potential role and fit for him on the roster in the future. DC also has invested heavily in reloading their attack with two forwards, Tai Baribo and Louis Munteanu, so there are players capable of getting on the end of good service if Aman’s abilities translate well at the next level. There are several other midfield prospects that he will have to compete with, but there is always going to be a competitive uphill battle for draft picks to earn any minutes out of the gate.
