Who are the top players for the Austin FC U-17s?

Austin's U-17 team is led by two youth national team talents that are on track to become homegrown players for the club, but they lack a breadth of above average talent. The group plays well together and it's possible that the club is prioritizing results over individual development, but it is hard to say. At the U-17 level, I like to see at least five or six tier 3 and above players at a MLS Academy. This will be the first time Austin has a reserve team, so it will be interesting to see which players get time with that group in MLS Next Pro.   My grading system   I use a numerical scoring framework to grade players. I look at what I consider to be the most important traits and skills for each position and apply a numerical value to each of those categories. I take into account the age of the player when grading for each category.. The categories include physical traits, technical ability, intellectual understanding of the game and their mentality in how they approach the game. I average those individual scores in order to generate a holistic grade of the player. The score helps me identify what tier of prospect a player is.   Tier 1: A high impact player with all the tools to be a first choice youth national team selection and an obvious homegrown contract candidate.   Tier 2: A very good youth prospect that should likely get youth national team consideration and a potential homegrown contract candidate.   Tier 3: A solid youth prospect that should get a look in MLS Next Pro or is likely getting recruited to play high level college soccer.   AM, [player_tooltip player_id='12547' first='Micah' last='Burton'] (2006)   What makes him special: Burton is a versatile attacking player that wins because he is intellectually and tactically superior than the majority of his opponents. Burton can play four different attacking positions: attacking-mid, left-wing, right-wing and striker, but I think he does his best work in the middle, sitting behind a striker. Burton's ability to pass and move, find space off the ball and the confidence to get shots off are all some of his best qualities. Burton is also incredibly tough. He isn't the biggest guy on the pitch, but he battles without fear.   How he can take it to the next level: Being tall is not a requirement for being a highly successful soccer player. The greatest player to ever live is 5-6. Burton isn't a big guy, but he has the frame to add strength and a little bit more burst. I'd like to see Burton continue to add lower body strength so he can be a little bit more difficult to bully off the ball. That will be critical to his ability to play against grown men.   Level: Tier 2   Burton has been involved in every US U-17 camp in this cycle and was a key player for the Concacaf U-17 Championship. He will likely play a key role in the U-17 World Cup. On the club side, I would assume Burton is a priority for Austin to sign as a homegrown player, but his rights belong to Minnesota United and I imagine that negotiation for his rights has been difficult. Minnesota is notorious for being difficult to work with. If Austin and Minnesota cannot come to an agreement after this MLS Next Pro season, Burton will likely have to decide on a different path.   WING, [player_tooltip player_id='16241' first='Izaiah' last='Garza'] (2006)   What makes him special: Garza moved from the San Antonio Academy to Austin this year and brought some much needed talent to this squad. Garza isn't an incredibly dynamic winger, but he does a lot of things well, particularly his technical ability on the ball. He takes a good first touch, a tidy dribbler and he can pick out a pass in the final third.   How he can take it to the next level: Garza's physical abilities will likely cap how far he can go, but we can do is maximize how his skills materialize in a game. Garza needs to improve on his decision making and figure out how his dribbling and passing ability can have as much impact on the game as possible.   Level: Tier 3   DM, [player_tooltip player_id='86694' first='Ervin' last='Torres'] Jr (2007)   What makes him special: Torres is the prize of the 2007 age group for Austin. Torres can play both as a defensive midfielder and central midfielder. He is very smooth on the half turn, has very good vision and passing technique and he can absolutely bang a strike from distance — he has great shooting power and technique. Defensively he reads the game well and plays with great effort and toughness.   How he can take it to the next level: Torres can elevate his game by being a little bit more secure on the ball — using his body and technique to shield defenders. I'd also like to see a little bit more creativity and cleverness in how he gets his business done — he is a little too structured in how he approaches problem solving on the field.   Level: Tier 2   Like Burton, Torres has been a consistent US youth national team player, but for the U-16s. Torres is one of the better midfielders in that age group and should continue to be a key player at that age level.   DM, [player_tooltip player_id='86695' first='Ubau' last='Ibeanu'] (2007)   What makes him special: Ibeanu is a projection grade for me because he does not play a whole lot for the U-17s right now, but I really liked what I saw from him at the U-15 level and the minimal time he has been on the field for the U-17 team. His physical profile is pretty elite, he has quick feet and good passing technique. I can't speak to why he isn't getting on the field, but Ibeanu is a player that could breakout this spring or next season.   How he can take it to the next level: Ibeanu is prone to making mistakes and questionable decisions. His impact when he does play does not always align with his talent. These are probably the reasons why he isn't playing as much as you would expect. He might be a player that puts it all together a little later.   Level: Tier 3, Tier 2 upside

Austin's U-17 team is led by two youth national team talents that are on track to become homegrown players for the club, but they lack a breadth of above average talent. The group plays well together and it's possible that the club is prioritizing results over individual development, but it is hard to say. At the U-17 level, I like to see at least five or six tier 3 and above players at a MLS Academy. This will be the first time Austin has a reserve team, so it will be interesting to see which players get time with that group in MLS Next Pro.