Kelly is the biggest surprise on this list. She is a winner every where she plays. She was named the Defensive MVP of her high school team, Santiago (Corona), this season while leading them to a CIF Southern Regional Division I Championship. She also earned All-CIF honors for Open Division – one of two uncommitted 2026s to claim that honor. Kelly has been just as good for her club team. She was ECNL Southwest Conference First Team honoree last season. The awards are plentiful. The game film backs it up. A talented defender who can impact the game in a variety of ways. Any scout looking for help in the 2026 class should prioritize the Legends 08 team in Phoenix. 

The Legends FC defender is a player that can contribute at both ends. She has good ability on the ball and likes to push up from the outside. She tracks back quickly as well and is good at defending on the move, or using her body in the back third to keep attackers from getting into the box. She can play outside on either side as she is good with her right or left foot.

Kelly is a defender on the Legends 08 ECNL team. I believe she was pulled up to the 07 team for the National Finals in Richmond after her stellar play with her own age group. Kelly can play a variety of positions, but she is listed as only a defender on the Conference Cup roster. She is likely to line up at outside back. She had a terrific game against Internationals during the postseason. She is a great two-way player. She is physical as a defender and uses her body well to shield players off the ball. She is not afraid of contact and is smart about how she positions herself to keep her balance in the confrontation. She offers a weapon in the attack as well. She is skillful on the ball and has a ton of energy to get up and down the side of the field. Kelly can play either side of the defense, which should make her a valuable weapon at this event.