Ranking Analysis: Best MID/FWD from Florida’s 2025s
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The PrepSoccer state player rankings for Florida’s 2025 class were released this week. The updated list includes a number of new players who were scouted at club and high school events over the course of the last six months. To…
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Continue ReadingThe PrepSoccer state player rankings for Florida’s 2025 class were released this week. The updated list includes a number of new players who were scouted at club and high school events over the course of the last six months. To learn more about the PrepSoccer scouting process, check out this article.
The PrepSoccer player rankings use the player’s club home field location for the state rankings. For instance, players from outside of Florida but attend IMG Academy are listed in the Florida rankings.
Below is a scouting report on some of the best midfielders and forwards from this class. Check out the article on the defenders and goalkeepers here.
Midfielders
rnAttacking Midfielder. Left-footed
rnSymmonds is a fun player to scout. She is a dynamic attacking talent in the attacking midfield position. She burst off the game film with her potential. She is always on her front foot, which makes her a handful for the opposing defensive midfielder to try to contain. She can beat the defense with her dribbling or she can slice them open with her passing. Symmonds also starred at the ODP level.
rnShowtime
rnRizzo can be a one-player show at times. There are moments in the game when she just takes over the action and scores a goal out of nothing – long-range bomb or slaloming run through all of the defenders. Her performances in the Girls Academy have been highlight-reel worthy consistently. Rizzo offers a game-breaking talent from this class who is already showing her quality at a very high level.
rnMidfielder. Engine.
rnTall center midfield. Box-to-box player. Should have a lot of attention early on in the process. Brings a lot of potential to the table and versatility. Could be a key piece of a recruiting class with her physical profile. She is a top center midfielder , but also could be penciled in as a center back at the next level too. In theory, Nicholson’s quality on the ball would make her an outstanding defender at a top program. Her current level shows that she is already a top prospect as a two-way midfielder. Good first touch, excellent passer, and strong defender. Nicholson could do better in moving her feet before the tackle, she has a slight tendency to reach into challenges.
rnArtist. Playmaker
rnEdelstein is an attacking midfielder who has been outstanding recently for Tampa Bay United 06 ECNL. She is a difference-maker in the final third. She creates chances for her teammates with her passing, and on her own with her skillful dribbling. She has great game-awareness and a good finisher. Edelstein creates highlight-reel plays in every game, which should have scouts eager to reach out to the TBU standout in June.
rnQuick. Skillful. Tough
rnGundin is an attacking midfielder for the West Florida Flames. She immediately stands out from games at the Girls Academy level. She is a big time talent from that position and should be on the short list for top midfielders in this state on any scout’s radar. She is a skillful dribbler and does well in tight spaces. She makes good quick decisions on the ball. Her combination play with her teammates shows an elevated understanding of how to breakdown the opposition. She is a tough player too – not afraid to get stuck in a challenge or push back when the game gets physical. She surprised a bit with her performances this season because she hasn’t had a ton of publicity previously, but she is a top, top prospect.
rnCannon. Power.
rnAbsolute rocket of a leg. Waddell popped up on my radar for her performances with the Orlando City ECNL 07 team. She is a starting center midfielder for that team. Her style of play is specific – she likes to long for long cross-field passes. She really wants to open up the field for her side. But she has fit in well with that group and now offers a weapon from outside of the box with her right foot. She hammers the ball! She is going to score some goals during the final months of the regular season and postseason with her shots from distance.
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rnHigh energy midfielder
rnScoby impressed with her effort. She never quit on the play. She chased down players and hound them into mistakes. She is technically clean on the ball and can play out of pressure. She is a smaller midfielder, but she has excellent passing and good control of the ball.
We wrote about Grace in the fall and highlighted her contributions as an attacking talent at the ECNL level. Recently, Dykstra has popped up as a defensive midfielder for her club team, FC Prime. Still composed on the ball, Dykstra offers a deep-lying playmaker for her side. I think she offers a bit more in an advanced role, but she is showing the versatility to play in that role of protecting the back four.
rnBoss
rnBox-to-box midfielder. Right footed. Plays at a different pace than most at the youth level. Incredible spatial awareness. Her understanding of when to take space on the dribble and when to lay off the pass to a teammate is elevated for the youth game. Probably one of the best in this class in goal-scoring from the midfield position. Strikes a ball really well and will take her chance from outside of the box. Given her dominance on the field, it’s natural that she can have a tendency to try to do too much. There are also moments when she isn’t full speed in her recovery. Saia’s athletic profile, skill, and game-understanding should make her an early target for the 2025 class. There is potential that she elevates her game even more at the next level thanks to her competitive make-up. Her ceiling is an All-American at the Division I level, but it might take the right program to get her there.
Highlights
Forwards
Wingers
rnWinger
rnUlrich is a dynamic attacking talent comfortable on either foot. Her positional flexibility lets her pop up anywhere across the attacking trio. She makes great diagonal runs off the ball, which has made her one of the most imposing players to defend in the Girls Academy. She is a two-way player and defends with tenacity. She is a top right winger in this class.
Center Forwards
rnDominant. Target. Boss.
rnBrown is a standout for the IMG Academy U16 Girls Academy side. She plays as the center forward and dictates the game for the most part. She can hold off center backs with ease. She turns on defenders with her skill and has been scoring goals by the truckload all season. Brown is not a new name or a sneaky addition to the rankings, but rather a player who continues to elevate her game and climb the rankings.
rnForward. Set piece specialist.
rnCole is a different level type of player than most scouts will see at the youth level. She isn’t a youth national team darling or a highly decorated regional player. She is a pure goal-scorer. Based on watching a handful of her recent games, I get the feeling that she might not have as many scouts as she should prioritizing her on June 15. Cole is a player that will make coaches regret not reaching out to immediately.
rnShe hits a free kick better than 90% of Division I players. She has a few highlights on her Sports Recruit page, but she’s scored some better goals that haven’t been posted there yet.
She plays as a center forward for Florida Premier FC 07 ECNL. She is a solid option from the run of play – does well with her back to goal, good first touch, excellent understanding of playing off teammates. She also makes highly intelligent runs around the box and scores with her head. There is a certain magnetism to her game – the ball just seems to find her.
rnThe two knocks on her game is that she lacks that track speed to get behind the defense at the next level and she is a high volume shooter. She is quick enough to punish mistakes and she is physical so she creates turnovers. She strikes the ball really well so she tends to rely on that when she is facing goal and has space anywhere inside of 40 yards. It can be a deterrent if it ends a passing movement for her side, but it can also be a gift as it has caught keepers off their lines – and her reputation has earned the respect of opposing keepers so you see them staying closer to the end line, which gives her more space behind the defense for playing in a pass to a teammate. Any program looking for a center forward from 2025 should prioritize Cole.