Midfielders on the rise in California's 2027 class

It is a much ballyhooed class, the graduates of 2027 in California, and much has been made about the defensive prowess of this class. However, not nearly enough attention has been paid to the midfielders. There are highly rated midfielders who will be college bound, and there is a specific group that is rising up through the rankings and will be on the rise as their careers continue.   Ashley Crafton, San Diego Surf   Crafton is a central midfielder with the skills of a No. 10, and you can see why she has the ability to play as an attacker. She is incredibly gifted on the ball as she can operate in tight spaces, beat defenders in a variety of ways and overall has a great deal of creativity. She also has great vision and plays an excellent through ball. She does not lack in goal-scoring ability, either, showing that she can continue on into the box and be a threat, or score from distance.   Hayley Kase, Beach FC   Kase is a versatile player as not only can she play as a midfielder, but she can play out wide as a forward on either side. When she's in the center of the pitch, she shows a great ability to turn and dissect the pitch quickly. She analyzes at a rapid pace and makes great decisions with the ball. She can push, showing off impressive ball skills, or play a beautiful through ball or get the ball out wide with precision. She's quick, agile and clever and proves to be a handful for defenders.   [player_tooltip player_id='146232' first='Kinsey' last='Genewich'], City SC   Genewich is an total ball-winner in the central midfield. She has a nose for the ball, and tries to win it at all costs. Once she does, she transitions very quickly. She gets a full head of steam downhill if there is a sliver of space, but makes smart decisions and gets rid of the ball quickly when pressured. She is a hard-worker who always puts in a shift, she has long levers so she can really poke away the ball and dispossess and she shows great strength when defending.   Dezirea Lau, FRAM   Lau is a very well-rounded No. 10 as she can do a bit of everything. She can really dribble in and out of trouble as she has tremendous agility and foot skills, and she has the vision and the precision to play a nice ball on the floor. She can use both feet which allows her to be a threat to score goals.   Addison Ryba, Lamorinda SC   Ryba is a dynamic midfielder in that she covers a lot of ground and will keep coming at you. She is excellent in 1v1 situations, showing great confidence and ability when facing a defender. She is versatile as well as she will play as a forward, also. She is a player that can score goals and set up her teammates.   Luchiana Shattuck, [program_tooltip program_id='280776' first='Eagles' last='SC']   Shattuck is a great athlete with very athletic bloodlines. She is a player who likes to get forward, whether she is playing as an attacking midfielder or in a forward position, and shows great tenacity and speed regardless of where she is playing. She is very good technically, as she keeps things clean and tidy while on the ball, which allows her to beat defenders with the dribble. She is a player who works incredibly hard and has the fitness to run the entire time she's on the pitch.   Presley Shattuck, [program_tooltip program_id='280776' first='Eagles' last='SC']   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2024/07/by-Yamil-crop-710x466-1721740979.png?w=709" alt="" class="wp-image-198752"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photo: Yamil Sanabria</figcaption></figure>   Shattuck is a central midfielder who is very well-rounded. Like her sister, Luchi, she is athletic as the family has a strong sports background. She is in great shape and can really cover ground and go box-to-box, never seeming to tire. She is very mobile, not just in getting up and down the pitch, but shows great dynamism as she can go touch line to touch line. She has good foot skills, a very good first touch and is very quick and decisive in her movements. She also puts in a defensive shift in the midfield as she defends 1v1 very well.   Alexis White, Sacramento United   White is a very versatile player because she feels comfortable anywhere in the midfield, she can play as a wide forward or play as an outside back. She can literally do it all. She can use either foot, and she changes direction and feet very smoothly and quickly. She can play on either side of the pitch, score with either foot, send crosses in with either foot as she shows a dynamic quality to go with her versatile quality.

It is a much ballyhooed class, the graduates of 2027 in California, and much has been made about the defensive prowess of this class. However, not nearly enough attention has been paid to the midfielders. There are highly rated midfielders who will be college bound, and there is a specific group that is rising up through the rankings and will be on the rise as their careers continue.