Georgia’s rising stars from 2026

In this article:
Following the release of the 2026 state player rankings for Georgia, there have been a number of articles looking at the class and some of the names to know. The depth of talent in this class is close to being…
Access all of Prep Soccer
Subscribe for access to all premium articles and rankings.
SubscribeFollowing the release of the 2026 state player rankings for Georgia, there have been a number of articles looking at the class and some of the names to know. The depth of talent in this class is close to being unrivaled anywhere else in the country.
There is reason to believe a number of players in this ranking will appear high in the national rankings to come.
Ella Martinez
Ella
Martinez
M
State
#34
Nation
GA
, a standout for Concorde Fire Platinum 07, is pictured in the main image. She is one of those players who is among the best in the nation in this class. Below is a scouting report on a handful of other standouts from Georgia.
Midfielder – Lined up as an attacking midfielder, but definitely has some qualities to be a box-to-box or even defensive. Haven’t seen many attacking midfielders make the tackles that she did in the game – slide tackle and hip checks. She is not afraid to challenge anyone. Uses her body well in shielding the ball, smart about letting the ball run across her body so she doesn’t waste touches. Makes the full field runs into the box. Good vision. High, high ceiling potential.
Defender – Gibbons is listed as left back and left wing, but I saw her play as a center back. She’s a really good prospect at that position. She is not afraid of contact, has good vision, and will jump-start the transition. She is athletic so she will carry the ball into the attacking half or combine with teammates. She was a standout during the GA SE Talent ID.
Midfielder. Defensive midfielder. Did an excellent job as a game manager. In the right spots to control the tempo of the game for her team. Wasn’t flashy, but made the correct plays consistently.
Defender. Left back. Right footed. Impressive recovery speed. Basically a player a coach could play at either outside back spot against the speedy winger and she will shut her down. Kind of surprised she isn’t in the YNT Regional Talent ID events. She has track speed too. Her 5K pace is among the best in the state.
Defender. Right-footed. Hit a really good set piece for GSA in the game against UFA. Delivers a ball with pace and accuracy.
Midfielder. Box-to-box. Right footed. Strong as heck. Went into a challenge where it looked like it was 80/20 in favor of the other player and she came away cleanly with the ball. Good vision. Regularly provides key passes. Can do a bit of everything. Very good player.
Winger. Skillful player. Quick feet. Saw her play on the left side. She was effective in creating chances with her passing. Don’t think I saw a cross. She was getting into dangerous spots. Linked up well with her left back.
Winger. Good finisher. Does well with the timing of her runs and the precision of her movement to split the defense.
Forward. Very good in quick transitions. She is excellent at punishing the defense. She is a pressing center forward who can create her own chances. Right-footed. Likes to run at defenders. Pretty good finisher. High-volume shots, always looking for the opportunity to take a chance.
Midfielder. Box-to-box. Right footed. From game film, impressed with her defensive instincts and work rate. When her game was a little off in possession, she worked harder on defense to make an impact.
Left wing. Right footed. Quick feet. Dangerous with either foot. Did an exceptional job at winning duels on the wing. She could improve her defensive game when putting in challenges. Didn’t see much of the ball, but made an impact with every touch.
Center forward. Unique player. Not sure if she was being played out of position due to an all-star game-like environment. She was trying to combine with teammates. Didn’t have the pace to get behind the defense. Did well in hold up play and used her strength well against defenders.