Finally did an extensive update of the 2021 and 2022 classes with additions (Becerra) and subtractions (looks like Sanogo decommitted this past Spring).
I finally had some time to watch some evals and tape on several kids and all I can say is get ready for the Mia Pante show this season. I mean wow, what a prospect. If she played at Solar SC or similar top club in the US she would be a top 10 recruit in the nation and thus I believe she is a 5-star prospect. She starts on the Canada National Team in her age group. She is next level skill with possession, poise on the ball and elite passing into space. I noticed that Coach G spoke about her as well recently and said she is a phenomenal talent. I agree. She is a very similar player to Lopez out of the back but even more advanced at the same age, which means she is one of the best prospects to ever come into the program.
I expect Makhiya to eventually start this season but maybe not in Week 1. The other prospect that really impressed me was Carissa Boeckmann. She is just relentless in the middle of the field and controls the ball much like Harvey did for years at A&M. She is also a very good passer and has a high soccer IQ. Coach G got in on her early before she blew up nationally and probably the steal of this class. I think Gunnarson will eventually win the GK spot this season because she is a special talent at GK and has really quick reflexes for her size. Abel is better than I thought and Hayes is just a solid goal scorer, so they will be solid players in the future.
For 2022, Becerra (Gatorade Player of the Year in Texas) has recently risen in national circles and for good reason. She is really good with the ball at her feet and can really control the tempo, but her main skill is elite level touch on her passes forward. This is very hard to teach and she can bring a lot of players into the game because of it. She is going to be a good one for us in the future. And when you team her with Georgia Leb in the middle, we are set in the midfield for years to come since they built a rapport as teammates on Solar SC. Starting in the '22 season, Coach G will have the best set of midfield talent in at least 15 years. I don't know why Calzada continues to get overlooked nationally because she is a mainstay on US National Teams. She is tall and athletic and is a very good defender. Caroline Kniffen is one of the better crossing midfielders/forwards in her class, so I think she'll play at outside mid at A&M.
The 2023 cycle is in full swing so I'd expect we'll see some more commitments soon.
When I started looking at the 2022 and 2023 potential rosters, the talent level has been significantly upgraded and I think Coach G will have enough talent to finally overcome the Elite 8 hurdle. But of course this assumes no major injuries, transfers, or development issues, etc. We will have 4 and 5 star talent at every position on the field, so that is exciting for sure. And of course this coming '21 season is gong to be a good one considering the returning players and a freshmen class that is much better than originally thought.