Most exciting talent in High School leads NJ class of 2024

<p class="p1">The New Jersey boys rankings for the class of 2024 were updated on PrepSoccer last week. The rankings include some of the top talent in the country from the club and high school game.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p class="p1">The New Jersey rankings include the top prospects from the New York Red Bulls academy, as the MLS franchise plays their home games in the Garden State. The state determination for the PrepSoccer player rankings is the location of the player's club. The rankings also only include players who retain amateur status so a player like [player_tooltip player_id="29199" first="Bento" last="Estrela"] is included in the watch list but not the rankings because he has already signed a professional contract with MLS/New York Red Bulls.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p class="p1">The No. 1 player for New Jersey for the class of 2024 is [player_tooltip player_id="18528" first="Ransford" last="Gyan"]. PrepSoccer high school expect described Gyan as “the most exciting player in high school soccer.” The St. Benedict's Prep star had 16 goals and 12 assists in only 13 games as the New Jersey powerhouse had a pandemic-limited season. Following in the footsteps of high school teammate Molik Jesse Khan, who signed a professional contract with Minnesota United 2 after his junior season, could be an attractive option for Gyan. The dynamic junior-to-be is a left-foot dominant attacking talent. He likes to play on the wing, and can feature on either side. He has quick feet and impressive balance. Getting Gyan's game to the next level will take some evolution and development as his quick burst and stepovers won't be as effective against grown men at the professional level. Improving his finishing with his right foot and rounding out his defensive approach to the game will help him get to the next stage of his career quicker as he already proved in 2021/2022 that he can dominate the youth game.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/369kHbhb6YM" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> <p class="p1">[player_tooltip player_id="45720" first="Paul" last="Smajlaj"] is No. 2 in the rankings for New Jersey for the class of 2024. The defender was one of the Red Bulls Academy players signed to a USL Academy Agreement for the 2022 season. The agreement means that Smajlaj keeps his eligibility for college while also playing against professionals this season. Smajlaj is a center back born in late 2005. He had a starring role with the Red Bulls academy team during the Generation Adidas Cup in April in Dallas.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p class="p1">[player_tooltip player_id="45739" first="Frankie" last="Defrancesco"] is one of the top players to know in the state of New Jersey. The TSF Academy midfielder has amazed scouts this season with his play in MLS Next. Defrancsco was one of the top players at the MLS Next event in the 2006 age group. The center midfielder was a First-Team All-Star selection in the Big North Conference by <a href="http://nj.com"><span class="s1">nj.com</span></a> for his play with his high school DePaul.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p class="p1">[player_tooltip player_id="45734" first="William" last="Altirs"], a forward from Cedar Stars Academy-Bergen, impressed scouts at the MLS Next event in Maryland in May. Altirs is one of the top forwards in the class of 2024 in New Jersey in the new rankings.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p class="p1">[player_tooltip player_id="13028" first="Joseph" last="Grossman"], 6-foot-3, is the top goalkeeper in the state for the class. Grossman is quick off his line and plays bigger than his size with a massive wingspan. He is good on crosses at attacking the ball in the air and securing the catch in traffic. He does well with distribution and has the vision to lead the counter-attack for his side.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/5pzxs_TGl4E" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> <p class="p1">Sam Tinoco looks to be a player for scouts to know this summer. The PDA forward has found success at both the ECNL and MLS Next level. He is a right-footed winger who likes to play on the left wing and cut in. He is a good finisher from inside 30 yards and found the back of the net 20 times last season.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p class="p1">Check out <a href="https://prepsoccer.com/new-jersey/rankings/boys/2024-rankings/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the full rankings for New Jersey for the Boys Class of 2024</a>.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p>