Who is the most dominant midfielder in CA’s 2026 class?

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The PrepSoccer Player Rankings for the state of California for the class of 2026 were released last week. Check out<a href="https://prepsoccer.com/2023/01/updated-2026-california-girl-rankings/"> the full rankings for the class here</a>.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Throughout the past few days, we've done a deep-dive into this class in a positional breakdown for this class. Below is a rundown of the midfielders in this group. The midfield position is especially deep in this class with a variety of players shining bright on a big stage. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>One side note below the analysis: [player_tooltip player_id='83572' first='Tyler' last='Rolf'] from City SC is a top player to watch in this class. The midfielder is recovering from a knee injury and wasn't mentioned in the rankings, but she is definitely on the radar for when she returns to the pitch soon. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["63770"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"Antonucci is a big time prospect in the state and the country. She is one of three players in the CA 2026 Class rankings who made the ECNL All-America list for last season. She plays on the Legends 07 ECNL team, and was a major reason for the team's success last season. Antonucci immediately stands out from any Legends game. She is the catalyst for the team - the play flows through her. She is everything that scouts want from an attack midfielder: vision, skill, and adaptability. The best yet for the youngster is her drive. She is competitive and wants to be the best. The sky is the limit for the Legends starlet.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-63ced22c59f2d"} /--> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://streamable.com/u9wora","type":"wp-embed","providerNameSlug":"streamable"} --> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-wp-embed is-provider-streamable wp-block-embed-streamable"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://streamable.com/u9wora </div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Antonucci goal (courtesy Trace ID)</figcaption></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["58267"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"Comparing Villalpando to Antonucci is an apples to oranges comparison, which is a revealing aspect of putting attacking midfielders and defensive midfielders on the same list. In theory, they play the same position but they are very different in their roles and responsibilities within the game. Villalpando is one of the top midfielders in the state because she is a coach on the field. She is a standout for being great at the tasks that she has to do for her team to be successful. She makes key tackles, she reads the game and makes key interceptions, and she distributes the ball quickly to her teammates. Villalpando is going to be a key building block for any team she plays on even though she won't always show up in the scoresheet because she does her job extremely well.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-63ced22c59ffb"} /--> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7gq3lkq0oZU","type":"video","providerNameSlug":"youtube","responsive":true,"className":"wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"} --> <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=7gq3lkq0oZU </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["44649"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"[player_tooltip player_id='44649' first='Pearl' last='Cecil'] has every tool to be an international level player at the senior level - and make this ranking list look silly in about five years. There are very few left-footed players with the physical attributes that she has - and the list is even smaller when you consider what she is already doing on the field. There are times when I think Cecil is overshadowed on her club side because there is just remarkable players in a number of roles, but the two-way midfielder does thing in games that make your jaw hit the floor. Her long graceful strides, and sharp cuts are nightmares for the opposition. If she receives the ball within 25 yards of goal, she is going to try to put you on her highlight reel with a broken ankle and a shattered ego. Cecil is a must-watch prospect in California and probably a No. 1 prospect on some scouts ranking.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-63ced22c5a08e"} /--> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qzE06L9OtCs","type":"video","providerNameSlug":"youtube","responsive":true,"className":"wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"} --> <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=qzE06L9OtCs </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["82757"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"If there is a club game going on in Northern California in the 2008 age group, there is a strong chance that Farmer is playing. The midfielder played on three club teams in the past year and has looked like a stud on every one of them. She is a box-to-box midfielder with the ability to launch a throw-in over 40 yards easily (those are not necessarily related but both valuable to her scouting report). Farmer's quality shines through when her team's are facing off against the best in the area. She is super competitive and loves a challenge. She is probably the tallest midfielder in this age group and she uses her body well in challenges. It's tough for players to go up against her because she has great ball control and lower body strength. Farmer is going to be a top target for nearly every college.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_1_player":["82799"],"_player_evaluations_1_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_1_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_1_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_1_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_1_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"Rodriguez made some passes in the ECNL season that I still have no idea how she saw from field level. It feels like the Surf midfielder has an unfair advantage with her vision on the field. She makes these cutback slip passes that no other midfielder is making - at any age group in the youth game. She is going to face more man-marking situations in the future as opposing coaches realize how valuable she is to the attack for Surf, but she has already shown that she is slippery to mark. She has a good burst/change of pace and excellent close control of the ball.","_player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_2_player":["82617"],"_player_evaluations_2_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_2_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_2_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_2_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_2_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"[player_tooltip player_id='82617' first='Fiona' last='McCormick'] popped on the radar because she just kept making plays in big games. The midfielder might be the most versatile player in this list. She has the quality to be both a destroyer and a creator. She is right-footed, plays as a box-to-box midfielder ideally. She has the motor to cover the whole field and do whatever is asked of her. I think she's added a bit to her game this season with late runs into the box and being a better, more efficient finisher.","_player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_3_player":["82755"],"_player_evaluations_3_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_3_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_3_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_3_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_3_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"Blough is a member of the San Juan 07 ECNL team. She plays with and against some of the best 2025s in the region. She can play a number of roles in the midfield. She is good on the ball and does well in keeping possession for her team. She is not flashy, but she is effective in withstanding pressure on the ball and finding outlets for her team. She could develop into a top two-way midfielder in this class.","_player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":4,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-63ced22c5a219"} /--> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->