Rankings Analysis: California Girls 2023
It’s hard to look at the class of 2023 and not remark on the recruiting battle for talent in California. All of the major conferences in women’s soccer pull players from the state, but it is the in-state colleges that…
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Continue ReadingIt’s hard to look at the class of 2023 and not remark on the recruiting battle for talent in California. All of the major conferences in women’s soccer pull players from the state, but it is the in-state colleges that these battles mean the most for future success.
Perhaps thanks to the turnover among the coaching staff at USC and UCLA, Stanford is cleaning house with the top talent in the class of 2023. The Cardinal landed reigning Gatorade National Player of the Year Alyssa Thompson Alyssa Thompson F Harvard-Westlake (CA) | 2023 State #1 Nation CA as the headliner for the 2023 class. Thompson, the No. 1 player in California for the Class of 2023 in the PrepSoccer rankings, won the prestigious honor after her sophomore season. She did not play much for the school this season as she was busy winning the 2022 Concacaf U20 Women’s Championship with the USA national team.
Stanford is getting a once-in-a-generation type of player, which is obvious to anyone who watched the U20 Women’s National Team or has seen Thompson play against the boys in MLS Next for Total Futbol Academy (TFA). She is a wide winger who will be the fastest player in the Pac-12 immediately. She has track speed. And she uses that pace on the pitch to create scoring opportunities for her side. Her product in the final third should improve with the coaching at Stanford, but that is a nitpick of a prospect coming from the club game who has already starred alongside the best college soccer has to offer and against the best college soccer has to offer.
Buy your tickets now because Thompson is going to be the next great to put on that iconic Cardinal jersey, but she won’t be alone in Palo Alto from this recruiting class. MVLA midfielder Joelle Jung Joelle Jung M State #21 Nation CA (No. 7), Slammers Koge midfielder Shae Harvey Shae Harvey M State #22 Nation CA (No. 8), Davis Legacy forward Erica Grilione Erica Grilione F State #29 Nation CA (No. 9), Slammers Koge forward Maribel Flores Maribel Flores F State #27 Nation CA (No. 12), and San Diego Surf forward Maryn Wolf Maryn Wolf F Point Loma (CA) | 2023 State #60 Nation CA (No. 21) are also verbal commits to Stanford for the class of 2023 and top prospects from in-state.
Four different ACC programs land verbal commitments from the next four players in the PrepSoccer California club soccer player rankings for the Girls Class of 2023. Maggie Taitano Maggie Taitano M San Marcos (CA) | 2023 State #18 Nation CA , No. 2 player in the ranking, is a verbal commit to Florida State. Taitano is a midfielder with the perfect toolkit for the college game. She is a washing-machine type player – whatever type of pass gets to her feet, it will come out as a clean pass, easy for her side to keep possession.
Yuna McCormack Yuna McCormack M Tamalpais (CA) | 2023 State #6 Nation CA , No. 3 player in the ranking, is a verbal commit for Virginia for the class of 2023. McCormack has been an unsung hero of the FC Bay Area Surf 04 team that has dominated club soccer for most of the last decade. She is the engine of the midfield that is a prototype of a No. 8 in the modern game.
Beach FC forward Mia Minestrella Mia Minestrella F Redondo Union (CA) | 2023 State #12 Nation CA , the No. 2 forward in this class, but really the No. 1 center forward in California and probably the country, is a verbal commit for Duke for the class of 2023. The Blue Devils landed the Southern California prospect and youth national team member. She is going to a program that will give her a platform and opportunity to shine. Duke’s style of play fits in well with her strengths.
Savannah M. King Savannah M. King D Agoura (CA) | 2023 State #8 Nation CA , the LAFC So Cal defender, is the No. 5 player in the class of 2023 for California. King is a verbal commit to North Carolina. She is a plug-and-play player at the college level. She will take over the outside back spot for the Heels and be an anchor there for four years. She has the speed and technique to be a great 1v1 defender at the college level. She also offers some quality in service and distribution from the back.
Valerie Vargas is the first UCLA recruit to pop up on the list. Vargas is a local talent for the Bruins as she played her club soccer for LA Galaxy before she joined Beach FC in Long Beach. The Mexico youth international is a player that former coach Amanda Cromwell would have loved. She is player who can create something out of nothing. She plays with a flair that can frustrating the opposition and excite the fans. For her new coach at UCLA, she is a cornerstone piece for a recruiting class. Ideally, you would surround Vargas in the midfield with two high work rate midfielders – a combination to take some defensive responsibility off her shoulders. Putting two wingers with pace who like to stay in the wide channels would make defenses have to adjust how to approach defending the Bruins from game-to-game. The benefit for the new coaches in Westwood is that these players are already there in the next two classes. Vargas stepping into that group could be the perfect fit to elevate the group from good to great.
De Anza Force forward Mailin Orozco Mailin Orozco F State #25 Nation CA is the top ranked player headed to a WCC program. She is a verbal commit to Santa Clara for the class of 2023. Orozco’s play at the ECNL level has been stellar this season, which makes her one to watch for future updates.
The full list for the Girls Class of 2023 can be viewed here.