NCAA Men's Goalkeeper Rankings (Preseason Fall 2024)

Bill Reno August 18, 2024

Seniors

1. Edu Rodriguez (Rhode Island, Spain)
2. Khamari Hadaway (Princeton)
3. Will Watson (Princeton)
4. Nathanael Sallah (Omaha, Germany)
5. Luke Pruter (UC Irvine)
6. Youssou Ouendeno (Western Illinois, France)
7. Blake Franzen (Liberty, South Africa)
8. Josue Hangi (Georgia State)
9. John Harms (Indiana)
10. James Lowell (Marist)

One to Watch: Hadaway / Watson. The two Princeton keepers have split time since 2022 and this season is shaping up to be no exception. Although a number of programs on the women’s side will look to split halves, the men’s game typically goes all in on one goalkeeper or the other. On top of that, senior year can often make or break players’ professional aspirations. Although Princeton most likely won’t be vying for a national championship, keep an eye out for which goalkeeper will make their case for Princeton’s number one, as well as the pro game.

Juniors

1. Logan Erb (NC State)
2. Casper Mols (Kentucky, Denmark)
3. Alec McLachlan (St. John's, England)
4. Zac Kelly (Michigan State)
5. Andrew Cordes (North Carolina)
6. Cabral Carter (Pittsburgh)
7. Tenzing Manske (Georgetown)
8. Gavin Roberts (Lindenwood)
9. Sam Joseph (UCLA)
10. Joseph Andema (Clemson, Ghana)

One to Watch: Logan Erb. The former Houston Dynamo product leaves San Diego State for the east coast in hopes of helping turn around NC State’s middling status. For several years now, NC State has been labeled as a school not quite tapping into its full potential, often missing the postseason due to just a few results going the wrong way. Look for Erb to not only push NC State into a more serious contender in the ACC but also position himself to collect individual accolades after attaching ACC prestige to his resume.

Sophomores

1. Wyatt Nelson (UCLA)
2. Jonathan Munteanu (UAB)
3. Seth Wilson (UNC Greensboro)
4. Aidan Crawford (Loyola-Chicago)
5. Jakub Grzesiak (Oral Roberts, Poland)
6. Alex Svetanoff (Louisville)
7. Zack Andoh (California)
8. Rowan Schnebly (Stanford)
9. Chema Preciado (Gonzaga)
10. Josh Caron (High Point)

One to Watch: Seth Wilson. After a limited run at Akron, the 6’5” FC Dallas alum mirrors Erb’s move to the east coast, joining up with a big fish in a little pond: UNC Greensboro. Nevertheless, expect Wilson and Greensboro to rear their head during the postseason as they have the potential to upset a Final Four candidate in November. Wilson has several of the tools pro scouts are looking for and playing spoiler would only bolster the young goalkeeper’s reputation.

Freshmen

1. Blake Kelly (Notre Dame)
2. Kyle Jansen (Syracuse)
3. Ryan Carney (Providence)
4. Filip Versterre (South Carolina, Denmark)
5. Charlie Reed (Clemson)
6. Jayden Quemada (Oakland)
7. Laurin Mack (Maryland, Germany)
8. Nash Skoglund (South Carolina)
9. Levi Bieber (Washington)
10. Alexander Yagudayev (Villanova)

One to Watch: Blake Kelly. Although South Carolina will occasionally brag about being the place where top goalkeepers go, Notre Dame has clearly nailed down the top prospect for the 2024 season. As to how much of a role he’ll play in 2024, it’s hard to say at this point. But the former RSL academy goalkeeper is most certainly not going to be in college long. Don’t be surprised if Kelly is in and out in quick succession.

Past Collegiate Goalkeeper Rankings

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

NCAA Women's Goalkeeper Rankings (Preseason Fall 2024)

Bill Reno August 18, 2024

Seniors

1. Elizabeth Beardsley (Maryland)
2. Macy Enneking (Iowa)
3. Nadia Cooper (Washington State)
4. Stephanie Sparkowski (Michigan)
5. Tyler McCamey (Princeton)
6. Leah Freeman (Duke)
7. Mia Justus (Texas)
8. Marzia Josephson (Kentucky)
9. Maddie Smith (Florida State)
10. Megan Plaschko (TCU)

11. Ryan Campbell (UCLA)
12. CJ Graham (Utah Valley)
13. Wiebke Willebrandt (Boston College, Germany)
14. Ashley Naylor (UC Irvine)
15. Anna Karpenko (Georgetown, Canada)
16. Shu Ohba (Mississippi, Japan)
17. Genevieve Crenshaw (Boise State)
18. Keara Fitzgerald (Washington State)
19. Camielle Day (Missouri State)
20. Jenna Moran (Charleston Southern)

One to Watch: Maddie Smith. After a leg injury kept Smith out of 2023, Smith left the University of Maryland for a chance at Florida State, marking her fourth college in six years. Smith stayed busy this summer with the California Storm, ultimately winning the WPSL for the club’s fifth time since the league’s inception in 1998. Playing at Florida State brings significant perks, but coaches at this level are willing to change goalkeepers much more quickly after one or two mistakes. If Smith can regain her consistency and help FSU stay competitive in November, look for the former Lake Tahoe Community College goalkeeper’s stock to continue to rise for a chance at the NWSL.

Juniors

1. Bella Hollenbach (Missouri)
2. Olivia Pratapas (NC State)
3. Teagan Wy (California)
4. Shea Vanderbosch (Syracuse)
5. Ashton Blair (East Tennessee State)
6. Pauline Nelles (Arizona State, Germany)
7. Caroline Duffy (Oklahoma)
8. Sally Rainey (New Hampshire)
9. Ashlee Zirkel (Baylor)
10. Alli Davis (New Mexico)

One to Watch: Teagan Wy. Wy enters her junior year with 24 games played already attached to her name and will likely finish close to 70. However, it’s the small things from here on out that will determine if she’ll be a good or great goalkeeper. Similar to Alyssa Naeher, Wy possesses significant power in her game to stretch out for a big save. And also similar to Naeher, the finer points eluded her at times last fall. Last October’s 2-0 loss to USC was a good example in how Wy could sharpen her movement to give herself a chance in, admittedly, two difficult situations. But these small tweaks could very well impact her chance in staying in the national team pool or retiring early.

Sophomores

1. Lynette Hernaez (BYU)
2. Victoria Safradin (Virginia)
3. Kyla Holmes (Yale)
4. Nona Reason (Clemson)
5. Addie Todd (Florida State)
6. Olivia Bodmer (Rutgers)
7. Valentina Amaral (Wake Forest)
8. Abby Gundry (North Carolina)
9. Mackenzie Gress (Penn State)
10. Alyssa Savig (Stanford)

One to Watch: Lynette Hernaez. BYU’s 2023 Final Four run featured freshman goalkeeper Lynette Hernaez in net for the Cougars and she did not disappoint. The most impressive aspect of Hernaez’s game surrounds her footwork and mobility. For goalkeepers at 5’11”, it’s common to see them struggle to get post-to-post but Hernaez is extremely mobile and possesses a level of fluidity that allows her to either quickly move her feet laterally or prep for an impressive extensive save. Look out for Hernaez as she tries to recapture BYU’s magic from 2023 and make a similar run this year.

Freshmen

1. Kealey Titmuss (Penn State)
2. Hannah Johann (North Carolina, Germany)
3. Cameron Gabrielson (Georgetown)
4. Maja Poulsen (Harvard, Denmark)
5. Caroline Dysart (Duke)
6. Gaby Rourke (Kentucky)
7. Grace Pilling (Texas Tech, England)
8. Jamie Campbell (Colorado)
9. Sonoma Kasica (Notre Dame)
10. Sina Tolzel (NC State, Germany)

One to Watch: Kealey Titmuss. It’s tricky to know what to expect from incoming freshmen but if there’s one to keep an eye on, it might be USYNT product Kealey Titmuss. The highly touted goalkeeper has been a staple in YNTs and earned high praise from Top Drawer Soccer and as the top goalkeeper in the 2024 class. It may be some time until we see Titmuss as one does not merely walk into Penn State’s number one spot but don’t be surprised if her name does show up on a boxscore this fall.

Past Collegiate Goalkeeper Rankings

NCAA Men's Goalkeeper Rankings (Fall 2023)

Bill Reno November 30, 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 Women's Goalkeeper Rankings (Fall 2023)

Bill Reno November 28, 2023

Cover photo from the University of Iowa.

Seniors

1. Macy Enneking (Iowa)
2. Cristina Roque (Florida State, Puerto Rico)
3. Katherine Asman (Penn State)
4. Halle Mackiewicz (Clemson)
5. Heather Hinz (South Carolina)
6. Stephanie Sparkowski (Michigan)
7. Taylor Burgess (Massachusetts-Lowell)
8. Ryan Campbell (Stanford)
9. Leah Freeman (Duke)
10. Marzia Josephson (Kentucky)

11. Madison White (Texas Tech)
12. Jocelyn Tanner (South Dakota State)
13. Kenna Caldwell (Texas A&M)
14. Kayza Massey (West Virginia, Canada)
15. Anna Karpenko (Harvard, Canada)
16. Megan Plaschko (Minnesota)
17. Glo Hinojosa (UC Irvine)
18. Keara Fitzgerald (San Diego)
19. Allie Augur (Georgetown)
20. Alia Skinner (Virginia Tech)

One to Watch: Taylor Burgess. After an injury sidelined her going into the Fall 2021 season, Burgess is finally back to form. Burgess’ biggest obstacle is clearly her lack of height, which she does well to supplement her game with quick footwork and explosive dives. NWSL teams are reluctant to bring in shorter goalkeepers but if Burgess can follow Lindsay Harris’ footsteps and carve out a respectable run in Europe, she might be able to give herself a chance to return stateside down the line. (Honorable mention to NC State’s Maria Echezarreta who notched four matches before a late tackle ended her season.)

Juniors

1. Mia Justus (Texas)
2. Elizabeth Beardsley (Maryland)
3. Wiebke Willebrandt (Boston College, Germany)
4. Nadia Cooper (Washington State)
5. Tyler McCamey (Princeton)
6. CJ Graham (Utah Valley)
7. Savanna Mason (BYU)
8. Ashley Naylor (Notre Dame)
9. Olivia Pratapas (NC State)
10. Shu Ohba (Mississippi, Japan)

One to Watch: Mia Justus. Justus is reminiscent of a blend between Laurel Ivory and Zack Steffen. She’s quick, can cover the goal well when she sorts out her feet, and doesn’t get nervous when the opposition finds themselves knocking on the goal. She clearly thrives for the big stage moments but the 5-0 drubbing by Florida State shed some light on her reluctance to utilize various tools in keeping the ball out of the net. A perennial line sitter, Justus doesn’t take forward space often and can get tunnel vision on plays, not seeing the back post danger. There’s a reason Justus started her career at Florida State but she’ll need more than quick reactions to make the jump to the next level.

Sophomores

1. Emmie Allen (North Carolina)
2. Neeku Purcell (UCLA)
3. Alli Davis (New Mexico)
4. Ally Zazzara (Tennessee)
5. Bella Hollenbach (Missouri)
6. Kendall Edwards (Milwaukee)
7. Shealyn Vanderbosch (Syracuse)
8. Pauline Nelles (Arizona State, Germany)
9. Ashton Blair (East Tennessee State)
10. Sally Rainey (New Hampshire)

One to Watch: Alli Davis. The 5-6-6 record (with only one win in the last seven matches) largely held Davis away from any postseason awards, despite Davis keeping the Lobos in nearly every match, often losing by one goal or finishing in a tie. Davis possesses strong “I’ll show you” energy by mimicking late 20th-century goalkeeping; she’s more than happy to insert herself into a fray and has the hops to cover the bar when she gets her footwork right. Consistency has been a bit of an issue for Davis, as tactically it feels like it’s a different approach on every play. Outside looking in, Davis looks like the type of goalkeeper who finds herself at a “boom or bust” pivot. If she can find a blueprint for herself that she can rely on to handle tactically complex situations better, watch out. But if she continues to rely on brashness alone, the Lobos goalkeeper may not be able to follow up her 2022 All-Freshman Team performance.

Freshmen

1. Hannah Poulter (USC, England)
2. Nona Reason (North Carolina)
3. Atlee Olofson (Notre Dame)
4. Valentina Amaral (Wake Forest)
5. Kyla Holmes (Yale)
6. Olivia Bodmer (Rutgers)
7. Lynette Hernaez (BYU)
8. Abby Reisz (Tennessee)
9. Addie Ford (Drake)
10. Ally Larkin (Nevada)

One to Watch: Hannah Poulter. It’s difficult for any goalkeeper to shine as a first year and even more so for a top program like USC. Poulter’s resume boasts English YNT experience (recently starting for England’s U19s in a 3-3 tie with Germany) but the mental stress collegiate soccer puts on a young goalkeeper is palpable. Poulter left the UNC game early in the first half (possibly due to issues with the heat) and never regained her starting spot after the 3-2 loss to Utah Valley, a game Poulter didn’t play poorly in but looked disjointed from her team. Poulter carries prestige but she’ll need to find chemistry and on-field success with her teammates if she wants to play a role for a team that is seriously knocking on the door for a national championship.

Past Collegiate Goalkeeper Rankings