North Carolina talent on the rise in the National Rankings

USE PROMO CODE JR30 for a discount on your first subscription   North Carolina's 2026 class is stacked. And the recent <a href="https://prepsoccer.com/2024/05/prep-soccer-releases-updated-national-girls-2026-rankings/">Prep Soccer National Rankings</a> reflect how much quality and depth resides in the top club teams from that state in this class.   Goalkeeper [player_tooltip player_id='24770' first='Franky' last='“Wicki” Dunlap'] is the top ranked player in the state and one of the top ranked goalkeepers in the country, but she has plenty of company on the national list from her classmates in North Carolina.    Below is a scouting report on 12 of the top ranked players from the state in the Prep Soccer National Rankings. Check out the <a href="https://prepsoccer.com/national/rankings/girls/2026-rankings/">full national rankings here.</a>    O'Neill is part of the U.S. U16 Women's Youth National Team and recently featured at the UEFA Friendship Tournament in April. O'Neill is a key player on the NC Courage 08 ECNL team. She plays right center back for her club team. She is one of the top risers in the recent Prep Soccer National Rankings update for the class of 2026. O'Neill brings a high-level all-around game to the position. She is a stellar defender who is physical and reads the game well. Her best traits are in possession though. She sees passing lanes better than most defenders in this class. She has the skill to make the pass too - with grass cutting pace and pinpoint accuracy. O'Neill is going to be a top target for the best programs looking for a center back in this class.     Kennedy is a midfielder on the NC Courage 08 ECNL team. She has also been part of the U.S. U16 Women's Youth National Team. She was also named to the ECNL Girls Conference Cup Best XI over the summer. Kennedy is a box-to-box midfielder who is great at shuffling the ball through the center channel. She makes passes that split the opposition and puts her teammates in positions to succeed. Kennedy's knack for checking her shoulder before receiving the ball and then turning away from pressure shows her brilliance in that role. She has been a catalyst for the Courage style of play this season.      <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q097Moh5rIM </div></figure>    Santos is a left-footed attacking player who can play as a midfielder or as a forward. She is a tough player to contain. She does a lot of the work off the ball to facilitate success after she receives it. She will bait defenders into sitting on her hip so she can turn them the opposite direction and race into the open space. There is a lot of nuance and subtly to Santos' game that isn't obvious immediately, but is a major reason for her success at the ECNL level. Watching her game film this season, there is some striking resemblance in her game to a young Ashley Sanchez. The dynamic quality on the ball and the tactical understanding of how to create advantages before receiving the ball against outside backs when in 1v1 situations are two of her elite traits. She does well at playing with her back to the goal and can feature as a center forward. I think her future is left wing, and she has shown against top defenders in the ECNL that she should be considered one of the best wingers in this class.    <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pE-rXvw9mqs </div></figure>    Forster is a smart midfielder with a high ceiling. She is in a starring role with the NC Courage 08 ECNL team. She can play as the No. 8 or as the No. 6. She has the versatility and tactical acumen to be a star in either role. The best attributes of Forster's game is her quick decision-making on the ball. She is excellent at mapping out the next pass to start the sequence for her side. She rarely loses possession of the ball. She is good on either foot and that comfort allows her to play out of pressure with ease. Forster is not the most physically imposing player on the field, but she uses her soccer smarts to make the biggest impact in her role.     I think there is a pretty good argument to be made that Fisher is the best left footed midfielder in the 2026 class in the country. Fisher is the star of the Wilmington Hammerheads 08 ECNL team. She was named the ECNL Mid-Atlantic Player of the Year for the U15 age group last season. She has been equally as good this season. There are times when the game (at the youth level) looks too easy for her. She sees the next pass early on and makes the correct read on the ball. She is often providing the decisive action in the final third to score or assist on a goal. She is excellent on set pieces and provides consistent delivery in dead ball situations. Fisher fits the bill as player who is making an impact at a high level currently and still has a ton of potential.      McMahon is listed as a forward/defender - and she can play either role at the next level, but I think her future is at right back. She is an ECNL All-Conference honoree at the 2007 age group. Her style of play is best suited in a possession dominant game plan. She can slip into the midfield to overload numbers for her side there. She has enough burst on the ball to get to the end line and whip in a cross. The all-around game is exciting, and she backs it up with a stout defensive approach and a fearless attitude on the field. McMahon is an excellent player wherever she lines up on the field.     Kuklick is an outside back/winger on the NC Courage 07 ECNL team. She can play on either side of the formation. She is right footed, but good with either foot. Kuklick's ideal position is wingback, but the wider appeal of her game might have her as an outside back. Addressing the offensive contributions first, she is excellent in 1v1 situations with using her pace to create advantages. She is quick with the ball at her feet and has an elite burst to get past defenders. She is a good crosser with either foot and has shown good awareness on the ball about when to hit the cross and when to get to the end line and dribble in to get the timing of the runs correct. Defensively, Kuklick is a physical player who uses her strength and long legs to her advantage. She can shutdown attacking players with her defensive instincts and body control in the tackle. Kuklick's versatility as a wide player should give her plenty of options for the next level as she could make an impact early on in her career in a verity of roles.    <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Q4oYOAWS-8 </div></figure>    McElroy is going to be a player with early offers from this class - and perhaps one of the first to make a commitment. There is a lot to like about her game. She covers ground so easily on the field and looks poised in all of her actions. She is comfortable playing on the wing, but also has the skill to operate in the center channel. I think she could improve defensively. She tends to rely too much on her legs to do the work and doesn't use her whole body in tackles. It's a potential trait for growth in the next couple of years before the college game. McElroy covers a ton of ground during an average game and makes an impact all over the field. She has the quality in the final third to be a goal-scorer but she is equally as good as a playmaker when in that role. She is the type of athlete that many coaches want on the wing and could envision as a four-year starter.      Bradley is a winger on the Wilmington Hammerheads 08 ECNL team. She is a talented attacking player. Tall, quick, and skillful on the ball, Bradley regularly creates an advantage for her side. When watching game film, Bradley feels like an unstoppable force. She is this wave of energy that comes at the outside back with an undeniable force. Bradley might be stopped once or twice, but her confidence never seems to falter and she usually finds a way to impact the game thanks to those effort plays. Bradley's decision-making in the final third is a strong part of her game. She makes the correct read and takes a singular focus of getting to the goal as directly as possible. I would love to see her improve on her close control of the ball when playing out of tight spaces. I think she'd make a great addition to a program that looks to spring on the counter. Her direct approach and tenacity makes her a difficult player to mark in 1v1 situations. She is an easy plug-and-play recruit for the right wing.    <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W7U9g-4SvaU </div></figure>    Listed as a midfielder, I've mainly seen [player_tooltip player_id='24979' first='Nicole' last='Kleyner'] play as the center forward for Charlotte Soccer Academy 08 ECNL. She was an ECNL Mid-Atlantic All-Conference honoree last season and still remains one of the top performances in that conference. Kleyner is an interesting prospect in that she offers a different player profile that her peers in these rankings. Her game suggests more an attacking midfielder mindset, but she has the poacher's mentality near goal. She's been a prolific scorer at the club and high school level. She has a brilliant right foot and a quick trigger when the opportunity is there. She might lack the breakaway speed that Division I coaches look for from the No. 9, but she makes up for it with close control and quick reactions. Kleyner is going to be a goal-scorer at the next level, it just might take a season or two to figure out the best role for her on the field.     Stanley is a center back on the Wilmington Hammerheads 08 ECNL team. She plays right center back for her club team. She can also play in the midfield. Stanley as a center back is an obvious talent. She is dominant in every facet of the game. Sharp in the tackle, she sets the tone early for her side. Her aerial dominance is easy to spot from game film as she is often the one leaping over players to head away crosses or long balls. Stanley's competitive drive should be the trait that most scouts identify with early on. She is a competitor and exactly the type of player who you want on your side as a building block to establish a winning culture.      Omwenga is a midfielder on the NC Courage 07 ECNL team. She has been part of US Soccer Talent ID events in the past. She has also played against older competition previously in the USL W League for North Carolina Fusion. At the start of the club season, Omwenga was a new addition to Courage and has grown into a bigger role within the team over the courage of the season. It's easy to see how she projects for the next level. She is a dynamic midfielder who could feature as a No. 10 or a No. 8. She has the ability to beat players on the dribble, an increasingly rare trait for center midfielders as many are being pushed into winger roles when they show the type of dribbling skills that she possesses on the field. She is active off the ball and works tirelessly for touches. Omwenga might be overlooked in this class some due to a lack of club honors, but the game film shows she should be considered among the best midfielders in the country.     Nelson is listed as a midfielder on her player profile, but I've mainly seen her play center back, specifically left center back for Wilmington Hammerheads 08 ECNL. She is also part of the Philippines U17 Women's National Team. Nelson's international experience is an exciting aspect of her player profile. Her game is versatile enough to shine at the domestic youth level as well as on a platform with national team players. She is a good defender who does well organizing the backline from the center, but has the athleticism to slot out into a wide role as a possibility as an outside back.

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