Eight New Attacking Talents from the Texas 2027 Rankings

The Prep Soccer state rankings for Texas were updated this week prior to the kick off from summer playoff events. Check out <a href="https://prepsoccer.com/texas/rankings/girls/2027-rankings/">the rankings here.</a> Learn more about the Prep Soccer <a href="https://prepsoccer.com/how-we-rank/">player rankings process here</a>.   Below is a scouting report on the new additions to the rankings among the top forwards and playmakers in midfield from the 2027 class in Texas.    Holbrook is a five-foot-10 forward on the [program_tooltip program_id='283497' first='Sting' last='Austin'] 09 ECNL team. She has emerged in recent months as a prolific scorer at the club level. She's on a talented team with a number of playmakers. She's adapted and improved from playing alongside the Youth National Team talent and really raised her profile. She is a poacher around the goal and nearly unstoppable in the box. Holbrook's got the tools to be an excellent target forward at the college level.     Justice is an attacking talent on the [program_tooltip program_id='283648' first='FC' last='Dallas'] ECNL RL team. She can play as an attacking midfielder, forward, or winger. She is a skillful, clever player. She plays with her head up and makes quick decisions on the ball. She can beat defenders off the dribble, but also does well in getting the ball to teammates in attacking positions. She makes good reads in her passing and deciding when to play into feet and when to play a teammate into space. Her technical ability and technique is utilized in a variety of ways and shows up on game film consistently. Justice also takes corner kicks for her team. She has been a standout in the ECNL RL this season for one of the best teams in the country in that league.     Sutherland is a forward on the [program_tooltip program_id='283296' first='Classics' last='Elite'] ECNL team. She is a winger or striker. Her best attribute is her pace. She has speed and plenty of it. She can run away from defenders with the ball at her feet. Sutherland has a ton of potential thanks to that game-breaking pace. She can improve on her strength on the ball, which would help with her hold-up play. There is an obvious path for Sutherland at the next level as an early impact player off the bench with her speed and pressure on the ball. As she continues to refine her technical ability on the ball, she could develop into one of the top attacking talents in this class.     Knight is a versatile midfielder for the [program_tooltip program_id='283648' first='FC' last='Dallas'] 09 ECNL RL team. She rarely comes off the field for her team thanks to that ability to do a bit-of-everything. She's an excellent box-to-box midfielder. She makes charging runs through the center of the field and outpaces her mark. She's a good finisher when she's in on goal. Knight's play at the recent ECNL National Event in North Carolina showed that she looked the part against top ECNL talent in the country.     Slater is a forward/winger on the [program_tooltip program_id='283311' first='Dallas' last='Texans'] 09 ECNL. She is quick, physical, and skillful. She is only getting better as well. Slater is a great attacking talent in 1v1 situations. She uses her quickness and skill with both feet to her advantage. She is a tough player to defend. She is crafty with the ball and keeps defenders on their heels. She is a two-way impact player too. She influences the game with her defensive effort as well. Slater should be on the radar for scouts across the country with her ability to influence the game from the wing.     Mermis is a forward on the Albion 09 ECNL team. She can also play as an attacking midfielder. She is a playmaker and a finisher. Mermis is the type of forward to beat you with her mind as much as her athleticism. She is an excellent finisher with either foot - even from distance. Mermis' runs off the ball is another strength of her game. She creates space and capitalizes on the windows of opportunity. Mermis has shown top-level quality this season in the ECNL.     Hartfield is a six-foot tall, left footed forward on the Sting Black 09 ECNL team. She also plays basketball and runs track. Her physical profile obviously stands out and there are quite a few college scouts who will prioritize those attributes as a good fit for a system. Hartfield is more than a target forward with towering height. She moves her feet well and shows excellent instincts in holding off defenders with her technique on the ball. Hartfield's high level play in multiple sports keeps her busy, but she's show she is. Prospect scouts should know for her play on the soccer field this season.     Wheeler is a midfielder on the [program_tooltip program_id='283282' first='Challenge' last='SC'] 09 ECNL team. She has the physical profile and skill to be a Division I midfielder. She should be getting looks from that level. There is a lot of potential to continue to develop her game over the next few years. Wheeler's strengths are her technical ability, close control, and passing. Her areas for improvement are her weak foot, and becoming more of a 360-player - the reference to being that she tends to be stuck at looking at one half of the field rather than seeing the full field. Wheeler is an excellent playmaker in the midfield and a bright spot from the Challenge team.

The Prep Soccer state rankings for Texas were updated this week prior to the kick off from summer playoff events. Check out the rankings here. Learn more about the Prep Soccer player rankings process here.