Rankings Analysis: Defenders rule Florida’s 2024s

The PrepSoccer rankings for Florida for <a href="https://prepsoccer.com/florida/rankings/boys/2024-rankings/">the class of 2024 were released recently.</a> The list includes some players who have been really impressive in MLS Next games recently. Florida has a number of top club programs including a residential team that trains year round, a couple of MLS academies, a USL youth program, and some of the best non-affiliated teams. The talent pool is rich in the state, which leaves college coaches and professional scouts always interested in the next wave of talent coming through the pipeline from Florida. The strength of the 2024 class appears to be in the defense as four of the top eight players are defenders. [player_tooltip player_id="10412" first="Tyler" last="Hall"] (Inter Miami) and [player_tooltip player_id="46741" first="Dominic" last="Bell"] (Orlando City) are included in this list for the time being as both still retain amateur eligibility, but both look to be on the professional path with their respective teams. The PrepSoccer rankings only include players with amateur eligibility. Once a player signs a professional contract, he is moved to the watch list. The players in each state are also listed based on their club team's location rather than their home state - for instance a player from Michigan playing for IMG Academy would be listed in Florida. With recruiting now open to the class of 2024, there is an expectation that many of these players from the PrepSoccer rankings will be hearing from college coaches shortly. This is a scouting report on five players who have impressed the most during the recent MLS Next events. [player_tooltip player_id="46748" first="Preston" last="Plambeck"] - <a href="http://www.hudl.com/v/2Gxqi8">Highlights</a> Plambeck is an attacking midfielder from IMG Academy who is going to have a long list of programs interested in tracking his development over the next two years. He is already carving out a role for himself with the IMG U17 team and should be looking toward the bigger challenge with the U19 team in the upcoming season. Plambeck makes intelligent runs off the ball - he is excellent at exploiting the space off the shoulders of defenders and also timing his run correctly so he is not awaiting the arrival of the pass but rather meeting it in stride. Plambeck's first touch and instincts around the box make him a threat to score or setup chances, and make him the top midfielder from Florida for the class of 2024. [player_tooltip player_id="11372" first="Tate" last="Johnson"] - <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rSb88CZyxbQ">Highlights</a> The [player_tooltip player_id="11372" first="Tate" last="Johnson"] stock continues to skyrocket. The Tampa Bay United left back is a fantastic player to watch, as he does everything well. He is a terrific tackler especially on hook slides. His ability to pop up quickly with possession of the ball really makes a difference for his team in games. He has excellent control of the ball on the dribble especially for an outside back. Johnson will have his pick of options for the next level when his time comes - for now, he continues to round out his game and show that he can compete against the best in the club level. [player_tooltip player_id="10011" first="John" last="McGarry"] - <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a2i0h0RvBkc">Highlights </a> McGarry is a right-footed winger who plays for the Orlando City youth side. He is a dynamic player and likes to run with the ball at his feet. If he plays on the left wing, he has a preference to cut in on his right and shoot from near the top of the box. He is good with his left too, so the defender can't sit on only his right. McGarry's quick burst is elite, which makes him a player that scouts will want to circle on any event schedule this summer. [player_tooltip player_id="46803" first="Connor" last="Hearn"] - <a href="https://sportsrecruits.com/athlete/connor_hearn">Highlights</a> Hearn is a player who has appeared for a number of top clubs across the country so he will have interest from a variety of programs who have seen him during his journey. He is a midfielder with the versatility to play on the wing. The center midfielder (No. 8) role is likely his future. He has quick feet and good vision. He offers enough creativity and vision to be a playmaker from a central role. The current Tampa Bay United standout is developing into a top talent in that central role as he showed during the MLS Next Flex. He does the little things well - checks his shoulder, scans the field, opens up to space. He still needs to improve defensively for the next level, but the potential is clearly there and he will be a player to watch during the summer event for top programs. Chris Maxey - <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b4wUP0R40Oc">Highlights</a> Maxey is one of the top goalkeepers from Florida from the class of 2024. He is 6-3 with good ability to get side to side. His lateral quickness is elite for this age group. He can reach all of the corners of the frame and gets low quickly to block shots on the ground - exceptionally well for a player of his size. His distribution is good as he picks out teammates with the potential to create numerical advantages around the field. Maxey showed well at tracking the ball on crosses. Goalkeepers are typically a position that is recruited later in the process, but Maxey is a player for coaches to scout early as his physical attributes will make him one of the top ones from the state in this class. Check out <a href="https://prepsoccer.com/florida/rankings/boys/2024-rankings/">the full PrepSoccer rankings for Florida for the class of 2024</a>.