NCAA Men's Goalkeeper Rankings (Preseason Fall 2025)

Seniors

1. Nigel Van Haveren (FIU, Netherlands)
2. Freddie Lapworth (Bucknell, England)
3. Logan Erb (NC State)
4. Alec McLachlan (St. John's, England)
5. Devin Armstrong (NJIT)
6. Andrew Cordes (North Carolina)
7. Holden Brown (Indiana)
8. Owen Cornell (UIC)
9. Tenzing Manske (Georgetown)
10. James Lowell (Marist)

One to Watch: Nigel Van Haveren. Van Haveren is easily one of the most explosive goalkeepers in the college game. For a level of competition that is so heavily focused on goalkeepers simply not making errors, Van Haveren has come out of the woodwork to show that goalkeepers can be more exciting than a tall, lumbering figure in net. Hailing from Vitesse Arnhem’s academy system, Van Haveren may be one of the rare international goalkeepers that MLS teams could look to bring in. American (and English, by proxy) will be annoyed at his complete disregard for sound mechanics but his ability to keep his team in a close game with a game-changing save is rare to find in college these days.

Juniors

1. Wyatt Nelson (UCLA)
2. Aidan Crawford (Loyola-Chicago)
3. Jonathan Munteanu (Dayton)
4. Rowan Schnebly (Stanford)
5. Ky Mani Dade (Loyola Marymount)
6. Thomas MacAuley (George Washington, England)
7. Soren Russell (SMU)
8. Zack Andoh (California)
9. Franco Barba (Eastern Illinois)
10. Isaiah Goldson (Michigan)

One to Watch: Wyatt Nelson. For a goalkeeper that probably should have left college by now, there doesn’t seem to be much slowing down Nelson’s trajectory. The 6’3” Seattle Sounders product has one of the more impressive resumes heading into college and he’s primed to take over the coveted starting spot for UCLA, marking him yet another USYNT goalkeeper for the Bruins. Although Nelson fulfills the safety blanket feeling most head coaches are desperately looking for, the college game inherently gets sloppier as the season rolls on and that’s not necessarily Nelson’s forte. If Nelson can find success when the play breaks down, his stock will only continue to skyrocket.

Sophomores

1. Blake Kelly (Notre Dame)
2. Leo Ledin (Virginia Tech, Sweden)
3. Pepe Hinterschuster (Wofford, Germany)
4. Marten Brink (Marquette, Germany)
5. Filip Versterre (South Carolina, Denmark)
6. Declan Finnegan (IUPUI)
7. Jonah Mednard (Wake Forest)
8. Matisse Hebert (Wisconsin, Canada)
9. Spencer Sanderson (Virginia)
10. Carlito Saylon (Tulsa)

One to Watch: Blake Kelly. RSL is known for producing a steady stream of, at the very least, college-ready goalkeepers and Kelly is the latest example. Kelly notched 12 starts for the Fighting Irish last fall before graduate student Collin Travasos finished the season, leaving a “what if” cloud hanging over the season. Moving forward, Kelly won’t have many opportunities to find a rhythm in the game, as Notre Dame’s defense historically does a decent job of negating shots. Now entering his sophomore year, most of Kelly’s defensive actions will likely lean a little more difficult than easy. If Kelly can embrace the sit-for-89-minutes-and-make-one-save mentality, look for Kelly to help bolster Notre Dame’s final four aspirations.

Freshmen

1. Joshua Grant (South Florida)
2. Patrick Los (Michigan)
3. Nick Bishop (Pittsburgh)
4. Alan Rutkowski (North Carolina)
5. Patryk Stechnij (Wisconsin)
6. Dylan Auffret (Penn)
7. Gavin Atkinson (Grand Canyon)
8. Owen Beninga (UC Santa Barbara)
9. Cole Kowalski (Notre Dame)
10. Dmytro Torubara (Georgetown)

One to Watch: Patrick Los. It’s been a while since we’ve had a 5’11” goalkeeper kick the door down in college but Los has as good a chance as anyone else that’s come before him. The Chicago Fire product was once touted as the next big thing when Slonina and Brady were garnering hype but the USYNT fanbase has largely cooled on him, despite his 37 professional appearances with Chicago Fire 2. Whether it was the lack of height or something else, Los has some doubters to prove wrong as he heads north. Keep an eye on the USYNT goalkeeper to see if he can unseat returning starter Isaiah Goldson or if he’ll have to play the waiting game like almost every other freshman.

Past Collegiate Goalkeeper Rankings

2024: Preseason
2023: Preseason and Final
2022: Preseason and Final
2021: Preseason and Final
2020: Preseason and Final
2019: Preseason and Final
2018: Preseason and Final
2017: Preseason and Final
2016: Preseason and Final
2015: Preseason and Final
2014: Preseason and Final

The 24 Best U24 American Goalkeepers

If you were to ask either the USWNT or USMNT fanbase about who the starting goalkeeper should be for the upcoming World Cups, brace yourself for the variety of answers you’ll receive. Gone are the days when Hope Solo and Tim Howard were unanimous picks. The lack of consensus is partly due to the plethora of encouraging prospects but mostly because of the dearth of convincing performances with the senior teams. And while it may take longer to integrate new faces into the national team - Aubrey Kingsbury didn’t receive her first cap until 30, despite winning two NWSL Goalkeeper of the Year awards prior to - there are a number of fans who are vocal about their willingness to hand the keys to the car over to the prospects immediately.

Diving into the top U24 goalkeepers gives us an idea of what the rising talent pool looks like, as well as surveying where American goalkeepers are being developed. The following rankings are centered on a combination of current form and projected ability to succeed at the next level. Younger goalkeepers receive less of a bump for potential, as they’re largely unproven, while the older goalkeepers are nearing their finished level.

As a quick aside, it’s worth noting that the federation is still short a National Goalkeeper Director. As previously reported on, the USSF had a goalkeeper director through 2005, whose responsibilities were centered on connecting all the efforts into a cohesive program that pointed players and coaches in the same direction. Without a full-time goalkeeper director, the country has defaulted into outsourcing goalkeeper development to whoever is most interested.

USWNT Prospects

1. Heather Hinz, 23 - Houston Dash
2. Emmie Allen, 22 - Bay FC
3. Angelina Anderson, 23 - Angel City FC
4. Elizabeth Beardsley, 21 - Houston Dash
5. Neeku Purcell, 21 - Brooklyn FC (USA.1U)
6. Halle Mackiewicz, 23 - Chicago Red Stars

7. Maddie Prohaska, 23 - Seattle Reign
8. Nadia Cooper, 22 - Washington State %
9. Madison White, 23 - Racing Louisville
10. Leah Freeman, 23 - Duke University %
11. Megan Plaschko, 23 - Athlone Town AFC (Ireland.1)
12. Teagan Wy, 21 - California

13. Stephanie Sparkowski, 22 - Chicago Red Stars
14. Jillian Medvecky, 19 - Pepperdine
15. Mia Justus, 22 - Utah Royals
16. Ryan Campbell, 23 - Gotham FC
17. Olivia Pratapas, 23 - NC State
18. Jordan Brown, 21 - Georgia

19. Shea Vanderbosch, 21 - Syracuse
20. Liv Geller, 18 - TCU
21. Haley Craig, 22 - Portland Thorns Trialist
22. Addie Todd, 20 - Florida State
23. Victoria Safradin, 20 - Virginia
24. Sarah Wommack, 20 - Appalachian State

% - Currently a free agent but listed with the most recent team

Bill says: If you were to survey coaches across the country on the top goalkeeper in the USWNT pipeline, don’t be shocked if you received a multitude of names for the potential “next number one”. This list is largely unproven in a general sense, although all have just about had stellar collegiate careers. Hinz, Allen, Anderson, and Mackiewicz have all received buzz leaving college but none have currently locked down a steady number one job yet. However, look for Angel City FC to give Anderson a fair shot at becoming the starter in 2025 and potentially cracking into the national scene, similar to Neeku Purcell in Brooklyn. Purcell left UCLA early - after just 27 collegiate starts - and was recently rewarded with an invitation to the USWNT Futures Camp at the start of the year, giving good street cred for the USL Super League.

Other names to keep an eye on for the spring are Plaschko, to see how she can adjust to Irish football, and Freeman and Cooper, both of whom are still unattached at the time of this release. With Purcell’s success getting so publicly rewarded, look for more young goalkeepers to try their hand at non-NWSL routes. As for which goalkeepers will find success versus the ones who don’t, those answers largely depend on who will receive a fair opportunity and who can execute when the time comes.

USMNT Prospects

1. Chris Brady, 20 - Chicago Fire
2. Gabriel Slonina, 20 - Chelsea FC (England.1)
3. Gavin Beavers, 19 - Brondby (Denmark.1)
4. Diego Kochen, 18 - Barcelona U19s (Spain.1)
5. Julian Eyestone, 18 - Brentford B (England.1)
6. Antonio Carrera, 20 - FC Dallas

7. Andrew Rick, 19 - Philadelphia Union
8. Nicholas Holliday, 19 - Charlotte FC
9. Vicente Reyes, 21 - Norwich U21 (England.2)
10. Patrick Schulte, 23 - Columbus Crew
11. Eryk Slowikowski, 19 - Luparense FC (Italy.4)
12. Ethan Wady, 23 - Millwall FC (England.2.)

13. Emmanuel Ochoa, 19 - Cruz Azul (Mexico.1)
14. Brian Schwake, 23 - Nashville SC
15. Adam Beaudry, 18 - Colorado Rapids
16. Fernando Delgado, 18 - Birmingham Legion
17. Wyatt Nelson, 19 - UCLA
18. Duran Ferree, 18 - San Diego Loyal #

19. Blake Kelly, 19 - Notre Dame
20. Taishi Nozawa, 22 - FC Tokyo (Japan.1)
21. John Pulskamp, 23 - Sporting Kansas City
22. Leander Hoppenheit, 18 - Preussen Munster U19 (Germany.2)
23. James Sneddon, 19 - Richmond Kickers
24. Paul Walters, 20 - Cincinnati FC

# - on loan with the Nordsjaelland (Denmark.1)

Bill says: The rest of the world continues to do the heavy lifting for the bulk of our top prospects. Excluding Zion Suzuki (who is cap-tied to Japan despite being born in the US), Europe is a priority target for our young goalkeepers, which is highlighted by recent moves like Gavin Beavers (formerly of Real Salt Lake) and Duran Ferree (currently on loan in Denmark as well). We’ve reached the point where fans are assuming that goalkeepers like Chris Brady and Antonio Carrera will inevitably make the jump overseas, while also viewing Brian Schwake’s return to the US as a concerning step in his career.

The US has a unique problem with significant chokepoints when it comes to opportunities for young goalkeepers, so there is a strong argument for utilizing Europe as a resource. However, even if Europe is a part of the “American pipeline”, young goalkeepers still face the difficult task of navigating the logjam of overstocked late 20 and early 30 year olds in the professional scene. For a promising young goalkeeper from Arkansas or New Jersey, like Zion Suzuki, it seems that unless you’re one of the few lucky goalkeepers to receive proper investment from a professional side, your best bet in maxing out your potential is getting out of the US as fast as possible.

NCAA Men's Goalkeeper Rankings (Fall 2023)

Seniors

1. Kris Shakes (Penn State)
2. Ryan Schewe (Georgetown)
3. Lute Lillo Portero (Omaha, Spain)
4. Josue Hangi (Georgia State)
5. Bryan Dowd (Notre Dame)
6. Wessel Sprangers (Gonzaga, Netherlands)
7. Holden Brown (Virginia)
8. James Lowell (Maryland)
9. Clayton Knibbs (Connecticut)
10. John Harms (Indiana)

11. Sam Fowler (Washington)
12. Carter Abbott (Fordham)
13. Lorenzo Gordon (American)
14. Finn Jurak (Oakland, Australia)
15. Matt Zambetti (UMass)
16. Justin Siegel (Cal Poly)
17. Eoin Gawronski (Long Island)
18. Spencer Catalano (Canisius)
19. Harry Townsend (Missouri State, England)
20. Edmond Kaiser (Stony Brook, Germany)

One to Watch: Josue Hangi. Hangi started his collegiate career at Akron before transferring to Georgia State, where it took until his senior season to finally be named the number one. The Atlanta United product plays like a goalkeeper who has sat for three years: intense but raw at times. His handling isn’t the best and 1v1 approaches are more hopeful than methodical. However, Hangi plays with a level of intensity that embodies the “bet on yourself” and “play like there’s no tomorrow” mantras, which produces saves you simply don’t expect collegiate goalkeepers to pull off. Although the work needed to polish Hangi’s rough edges may scare off some professional sides, the clear upside will likely grab significant attention from sides that want a collegiate goalkeeper who can still develop, not just plateau at the next stage.

Juniors

1. Edu Rodriguez (Rhode Island, Spain)
2. Nathanael Sallah (Omaha, Germany)
3. Will Watson (Princeton)
4. Trace Alphin (Wake Forest)
5. Khamari Hadaway (Princeton)
6. Marc Kouadio (East Tennessee State, Canada)
7. Nate Crockford (Wisconsin)
8. Blake Franzen (Liberty, South Africa)
9. Griffin Huff (Lafayette)
10. Grant Calvert (Belmont)

One to Watch: Will Watson / Khamari Hadaway. What a fun goalkeeping duo. Watson certainly carries the edge in prestige, hailing from FC Dallas’ academy. However, Hadaway - a three-time high school All-American, to be fair - earned the bulk of the starts this year. Watson and Hadaway mirror the common two-goalkeepers-struggling-for-time trope: one is more crafted and consistent (Watson) while the other has the ability to make a legit game-saving moment but is less predictable in performance (Hadaway). There’s likely not a great scenario to leave both goalkeepers happy heading into 2024, as both have shown the ability to play at the level. With Princeton notching their first losing season since 2013 this past fall, neither goalkeeper really has standing to hold down the number one spot but as to how this plays out is anyone’s guess.

Sophomores

1. Jay Hibbert (Connecticut)
2. Logan Erb (San Diego State)
3. Andrew Cordes (North Carolina)
4. Casper Mols (Kentucky, Denmark)
5. Rowan Schnebly (Stanford)
6. Nic Lemen (Northern Kentucky)
7. Alec McLachlan (St. John's, England)
8. Gavin Roberts (Lindenwood)
9. Cabral Carter (Pittsburgh)
10. Jonathan Kliewer (Missouri State)

One to Watch: Logan Erb. Erb had some big shoes to fill after replacing MLS-drafted Jacob Castro and the Dynamo alum did not disappoint. The true sophomore feels akin to a snowball atop a hill: aiming for bigger things but the ultimate ceiling is tough to pin down. Erb is clearly eyeing a professional career but he’ll want to take heed to Castro’s over-reliance on improving a tense moment in the box, which has made the transition to the pro game all the more difficult. At times, Erb looks a little carefree with his movement and footwork, possibly leaning towards the same road Castro ventured down. To pull advice from another sport, Pete Rose told baseball hitters to never change their swing when reaching the pros and the same wisdom can be given to Erb: rely on what’s worked and maintain your blueprint.

Freshmen

1. Julian Eyestone (Duke)
2. Wyatt Nelson (UCLA)
3. Justin Stewart (High Point)
4. Aidan Crawford (Loyola-Chicago)
5. Bennet Glinder (Siena, Germany)
6. Jonathan Munteanu (UAB)
7. Patrick Schott (Belmont, Germany)
8. Seth Wilson (Akron)
9. Jakub Grzesiak (Oral Roberts, Poland)
10. Aaron Salinas (Furman)

One to Watch: Julian Eyestone. Wow, what a class. Every American goalkeeper here has the talent to get to the professional level with the internationals only bolstering the talent level even higher. Eyestone is one of the more obvious “fits the part” college products. The 6’6” FC Dallas prospect will almost certainly not stay at Duke for four years (but if Mark Dodd could do it, perhaps Eyestone can too). And with the rumors of the MLS draft starting to open up to underclassmen, keep an eye out for how few of these goalkeepers end up staying all four years, as the 2026 end-of-season rankings could have an entirely different set of names.

Past Collegiate Goalkeeper Rankings

2023: Preseason
2022: Preseason and Final
2021: Preseason and Final
2020: Preseason and Final
2019: Preseason and Final
2018: Preseason and Final
2017: Preseason and Final
2016: Preseason and Final
2015: Preseason and Final
2014: Preseason and Final

NCAA Men's Goalkeeper Rankings (Preseason Fall 2023)

Seniors

1. Kris Shakes (Penn State)
2. James Lowell (Maryland)
3. Ryan Troutman (Louisville)
4. Lute Lillo Portero (Omaha, Spain)
5. Bryan Dowd (Notre Dame)
6. Holden Brown (Virginia)
7. Ryan Schewe (Georgetown)
8. Sam Fowler (Washington)
9. Eoin Gawronski (Long Island)
10. Michael Collodi (Columbia)

One to Watch: Eoin Gawronski. A bumpy time at Temple, filled with injuries and splitting time, is hopefully in the past for Gawronski as the Philadelphia Union product looks to reset with a transfer to Long Island University. Although not normally known as a soccer powerhouse, LIU has done well for themselves in the past few years and are primed for a breakout year. Several MLS and USL goalkeepers have come from smaller schools, so don’t be surprised to see Gawronski use this opportunity to make a name for himself, assuming he can stay healthy and lean on the basics that made him originally successful at Temple.

Juniors

1. Edu Rodriguez (Rhode Island, Spain)
2. Nate Crockford (Wisconsin)
3. Nathanael Sallah (Omaha, Germany)
4. Alex Lopez (Tulsa, Spain)
5. Alex Bobocea (Loyola (MD))
6. Trace Alphin (Wake Forest)
7. Blake Franzen (Liberty, South Africa)
8. Aurie Briscoe (Rutgers, Puerto Rico)
9. Wyatt Kistner (Florida Gulf Coast)
10. Conrad Lee (Yale)

One to Watch: Nathanael Sallah. Sallah has innumerable tools at his disposal but consistency has eluded him still. Although Sallah has notched 19 appearances for Omaha, he’s yet to nail down the starting spot. Complicating the situation is returning senior goalkeeper Lute Lillo Portero, who offers Omaha a high level of security in goal through steady play. Sallah must once again navigate limited opportunities to prove himself as not only the best goalkeeper at the university but one whom professional sides will be comfortable bringing in.

Sophomores

1. Jay Hibbert (Connecticut)
2. Casper Mols (Kentucky, Denmark)
3. Andrew Cordes (North Carolina)
4. Ben Alexander (South Carolina, Canada)
5. Mitchell Budler (Akron)
6. Juanvi Munoz (UCF, Spain)
7. Jack Morris (Stanford)
8. Luis Castillo (Oregon State, Spain)
9. Logan Erb (San Diego State)
10. Cabral Carter (Pittsburgh)

One to Watch: Jay Hibbert. Hibbert possesses a Zack Steffen-like poise wrapped up in a David de Gea-esque frame, showcasing an interesting blend of athleticism with a front-footed mindset. Hibbert earned early minutes for UConn last season, but the Huskies eventually leaned on graduate student Michael Stone to lead them through conference play. If Hibbert can refine the finer details of his unique approach, look for Hibbert to nail down the starting role in 2023 and potentially insert himself into the U23 discussion for the US’s Olympic run.

Freshmen

1. Julian Eyestone (Duke)
2. Wyatt Nelson (UCLA)
3. Justin Stewart (High Point)
4. Dan Rose (Marshall, Ireland)
5. Jude Bosshardt (Northwestern)
6. Caleb Tunks (Virginia)
7. Patrick Schott (Belmont, Germany)
8. Cody Lindeman (San Diego)
9. Zack Andoh (California)
10. Gavin Roberts (Lindenwood)

One to Watch: Wyatt Nelson. Nelson enters UCLA as one of the Sounders’ best goalkeeping prospects in years, if not the best ever. Additionally, wearing the Bruins badge comes with a certain level of expectation as UCLA was once known as a powerhouse for developing goalkeepers. However, UCLA currently has just two former goalkeepers in the pro ranks (Earl Edwards ’14, Justin Garces, ’22) and the Sounders have yet to earn a high return off of homegrown goalkeepers in over ten years of running the academy. A lot of hopes ride on Nelson reversing the tide for both UCLA and the Sounders academy, but he’ll first have to earn significant minutes in the next few months. Look for former alum and current UCLA goalkeeping coach Juan Cervantes to teach the youngster how to swim in the deep end.

Past Collegiate Goalkeeper Rankings

2022: Preseason and Final
2021: Preseason and Final
2020: Preseason and Final
2019: Preseason and Final
2018: Preseason and Final
2017: Preseason and Final
2016: Preseason and Final
2015: Preseason and Final
2014: Preseason and Final