Making the Jump: Players Heading to USL Championship
Highlights of those players moving up from USL League One
As fans of the league in the lowest professional division in the country, we’re used to and should now expect that some of our best young talent (and sometimes coaches) will head up to USL Championship in the off season. This season has been no different so far, with multiple players making the jump. Here’s a summary of who is making the move so far.
Dion Acoff
Union Omaha → Tampa Bay Rowdies
At 34, the winger is one of the more surprising players to make the jump late in his career. But his collection of trophies and iron-man like ability to endure four USL League seasons with 110 appearances are what drew Tampa Bay to make the signing. It also helps that Acoff played for Tampa Bay coach Dom Casciato at Omaha.
Gabriel Alves
South Georgia Tormenta → Brooklyn FC
Alves brought two prior seasons of USL Championship experience when he signed with South Georgia Tormenta ahead of the 2025 season. His last one, at Rhode Island, was a bit disappointing with only 16 appearances as his technical style of play fell out of favor there. But after a standout season with Tormenta, it’s no surprise he earned another shot at the higher level, signing with Brooklyn FC, where he will have a fresh start.
Lalo Blancas
AV Alta → Monterey Bay FC
Eduardo “Lalo” Blancas had an MVP level season with AV Alta, earning All-League second team honors after 11 goals and five assists. While fans of the club were not happy to see the midfielder announced as departing after only a season, it wasn’t a surprise to see him snatched up by a Championship side. He’ll join Stuart Ritchie of Knoxville in Monterey Bay’s incoming 2026 class.
Angelo Calfo
Texoma FC → Miami FC
Perhaps one of the feel good stories to come out of an otherwise poor experience at Texoma FC, the 27 year old center back joins Miami FC. After winning the NISA title with Flower City in 2023, the club promptly ceased professional operations. He found a home in the Australian lower leagues, and returned for an opportunity with Texoma before that club also ceased professional operations at the end of the 2025 season. He’ll be joined by fellow Texoma defender Preston Kilwien, along with Charlotte’s Bachir Ndiaye and Tormenta’s Mason Tunbridge.
Sebastian Cruz
AV Alta → Tampa Bay Rowdies
The 25 year old right winger continues his climb up the American soccer ladder, joining Tampa Bay Rowdies after standout seasons at AV Alta and Kansas City II. With AV Alta in 2025, Cruz scored once in each competition, and contributed six assists in regular season play on only 27 chances created.
Cruz was on a one year contract with AV Alta, and was the first from that squad’s departing players to be announced for a USL Championship side for 2026, followed by Lalo Blancas to Monterey Bay.
David Garcia
Spokane Velocity → Oakland Roots
Left out when his former USL League One side North Carolina FC made the jump to USL Championship, Garcia put in the grind for two more standout seasons in the lower league. He would go on to win the Jägermeister Cup with Northern Colorado Hailstorm, and help Spokane Velocity to the playoff final. Along the way, he earned a spot on the All League teams in 2024 and 2025 and was nominated for defender of the year in 2025.
Karsen Henderlong
FC Naples → Tampa Bay Rowdies
Henderlong struggled for minutes his rookie season at Indy Eleven before joining FC Naples in USL League One ahead of the 2025 season. There, he put on a dominant performance, scoring 14 goals in regular season play, second in the league. He earned a spot on the All-League first team, and was nominated for Player of the Year.
The 25 year old was announced as FC Naples’ first ever transfer, joining Tampa Bay Rowdies on an undisclosed fee.
Preston Kilwien
Texoma FC → Miami FC
After grinding it out as a formidable back line presence at Tormenta and Texoma, two of the smallest USL League One markets, the 29 year old center back heads to sunny Miami. He returns to USL Championship after previously playing at Charleston and Pittsburgh. He’s joined in Miami by fellow Texoma defender Angelo Calfo.
Bachir Ndiaye
Charlotte Independence → Miami FC
Playing in tandem with Omar Ciss over the last few seasons in Charlotte, the 26 year old midfielder joins Miami FC for the 2026 season. In USL League One, he amassed a respectable five goals and two assists, mostly from the defensive midfield position. Four of these goals came in 2025, where he was a bright spot during an otherwise disappointing season for Charlotte.
J.C. Obregón
Westchester SC → Brooklyn FC
The 2025 Golden Boot winner (and 2024 runner up) returns to USL Championship after previously being announced as returning to Westchester. It’s no surprise the 28 year old is moving back up after two dominating seasons in USL League One. Obregón has previous stints with Pittsburgh, Hartford and Rio Grande Valley.
Charlie Ostrem
Union Omaha → Tampa Bay Rowdies
Another All League player to make the jump, Ostrem brings standout seasons from Union Omaha and Chicago Fire II to USL Championship. He’ll be reunited with former Omaha coach Dom Casciato, along with fellow former Omaha players Dion Acoff, Max Schneider and Pedro Dolabella.
Austin Pack
South Georgia Tormenta → Tampa Bay Rowdies
One of the top goalkeepers in USL League One over the last few seasons with Charlotte and Tormenta, Pack returns to USL Championship signing in free agency with Tampa Bay. He previously spent time in the higher league with Hartford, Pittsburgh, Portland 2 and Charlotte when they were in USL Championship.
Makel Rasheed
South Georgia Tormenta → Indy Eleven
We love a good comeback story, and Rasheed represents one of the best. The 2023 MLS draft pick missed most of 2024 and half of 2025 recovering from injuries before signing on with Tormenta in June. He immediately helped turn the club around, going on a late-season run that saw Tormenta return to the playoffs for the first time since 2022. He joins Indy Eleven in free agency, telling us his journey “definitely was tough, but God was faithful through everything.”
Pierre Reedy
Spokane Velocity → Sacramento Republic
The 28 year old midfielder returns to USL Championship after two seasons in Spokane. His time there may have been hampered by injury, but when he was on the pitch, he was a force. He departs Spokane with three goals and five assists over 25 regular season appearances in those two years. Reedy previously spent half of 2023 with Charleston Battery prior to joining Spokane for its inaugural season.
Niall Reid-Stephen
South Georgia Tormenta → New Mexico United
After finishing his rookie season as a runner up for league Player of the Year, and getting an All-League first team nod, Tormenta promptly sold the midfielder to New Mexico for a “record tying” USL League One to USL Championship transfer fee. Not only will Reid-Stephen have a higher level opportunity to grow, but Tormenta is cementing a reputation for player development and opportunity.
Stuart Ritchie
One Knoxville → Monterey Bay
The 24 year old left back was a part of Richmond’s Player’s Shield winning 2022 squad, after which the club sold him to Columbus. He returned to USL League One in 2024, spending two seasons with Knoxville where he again contributed to the club winning the Player’s Shield and the playoff final. He moves to a rebuilding Monterey Bay side where he’ll be joined by Lalo Blancas of AV Alta.
Max Schneider
Union Omaha → Tampa Bay Rowdies
An integral part of Omaha’s midfield, the 24 year old German joined the Owls in July 2024 on loan from Indy Eleven. After helping Omaha win the league title, his parent club declined his option. Omaha took full advantage and signed him to a permanent deal. It paid off on the pitch, as Schneider contributed four goals, three assists and 41 chances created in 2025, helping his side to another playoff appearance. It also paid off financially, as Schneider was shipped to Tampa Bay Rowdies on an undisclosed transfer fee.
Mason Tunbridge
South Georgia Tormenta → Miami FC
Tunbridge was one of three Tormenta players to score double digit goals in regular season play this past season, and was tied with Ried-Stephen with seven assists. He moves to Miami FC on an undisclosed transfer fee, joining multiple former USL League One players on the 2026 roster.
Just a reminder, we’re keeping track of all the USL League One transactions on our 2026 Transactions Tracker.
Editor’s note: the first version of this story incorrectly included coaches in the headline, sub header and introduction. This was removed as there were no coaches included in the story. We also did not include Austin Pack in the first version, and that section has been updated.