Going position-by-position with Shuttleworth's first Aggie team

The Bobby Shuttleworth era of Texas A&M soccer officially begins on Wednesday as the Fightin’ Texas Aggies open the 2026 season at Rice. We’re looking ahead to the upcoming campaign with our 2026 Texas A&M Soccer Preview Series.

With a new era upon Texas A&M soccer with the start of the 2026 season, head coach Bobby Shuttleworth will have to find his perfect starting 11 with the season kicking off Aug. 12.

Here's what each position is looking like before the season opener.

Forwards

• #20 Leah Diaz - Senior from Richardson, Texas
• #24 Taylor Jernigan - Senior from San Antonio, Texas
• #2 Emma Hoang - Sophomore from Flower Mound, Texas
• #21 Holly Storer - Sophomore from Keller, Texas
• #23 Ciara Jade Mitchell - Sophomore from Vancouver, B.C., Canada
• #3 Morgan Landry - Freshman from Frisco, Texas
• #9 Finley Lacher - Freshman from Fullerton, Calif.
• #22 Kieana Smith - Freshman from Murrieta, Calif.
• #55 Ireland Churchill - Freshman from Eastvale, Calif.

Will Huffman, TexAgs

Leah Diaz’s three goals ranked third on the team in 2025.

After being outscored 20-17 in 2025, Shuttleworth will look to his attackers to flip the script this year. Senior Leah Diaz leads the way for the returners. Her 2025 campaign comprised 10 total points, including three goals and a team-leading four assists. Her high shot volume has the Richardson native poised for a big senior year. After playing in just nine games last season after battling with injury, senior Taylor Jernigan is in a prime position to make up for lost time. Her seven goals and five assists throughout her career give the Aggies some experience up front.

Sophomore Holly Storer is a big name to look out for at the forward position as well. The breakout freshman contributed to five points last season, with two goals and one assist. Logging 828 minutes played as a rookie, she will prove helpful with an elevated role in year two.

Another player to watch that may make a push to be in the starting lineup is redshirt sophomore Emma Hoang. The high-energy speedster was a nice piece off the bench last season, and if she can translate those flashes from last season to real production this season, she has all the tools to make a huge leap in year two.

A few new pieces got added to Shuttleworth's attack this offseason as well.

Myla Ramos, TexAgs

Ireland Churchill scored in Texas A&M’s 3-0 exhibition victory over Incarnate Word on Aug. 5.

Sophomore Ciara Jade Mitchell from San Diego State brings in 603 minutes of experience and looks to build on her 12 shots on goal during her 2025 season. Freshman Ireland Churchill is coming in as a highly touted recruit from Eastvale, Calif. She has the chance to make an immediate impact on the pitch with her experience at the high school level, even being named ECNL Girls Southwest Conference U17 Player of the Year.

Midfield

• #10 Bella Carapazza - Senior from Tarpon Springs, Fla.
• #16 Trinity Buchanan - Senior from Henderson, Nev.
• #8 Kat Campbell - Junior from Frisco, Texas
• #7 Brynja Rán Knudsen - Freshman from Reykjavik, Iceland
• #19 Sami Ruiz - Freshman from Corona, Calif.

Senior Trinity Buchanan will be the star of the show for this A&M team in 2026. In her first season with the Aggies last year, the UNLV transfer totaled 12 points, with a team-best five goals and two assists. If Shuttleworth plans to use her like she was used last season, the offense will run through her. Junior Kat Campbell also makes a return after starting every game for the Maroon & White last season, looking to improve on her 2025 campaign that saw her tally just one assist in 1,219 minutes.

Additionally, senior Bella Carapazza transferred from Lipscomb during the offseason. A member of the Hermann Trophy Watch List, she comes to Aggieland with 14 career goals and 17 assists to her credit. Last season, she scored seven times with seven helpers on her watch to All-ASUN first-team honors.

Myla Ramos, TexAgs

Bella Carapazza scored 14 career goals in 64 matches at Lipscomb.

Two freshmen will be joining the seasoned vets at midfield. Freshman Brynja Rán Knudsen makes her way over from Iceland, already having some professional experience in the Besta Deild Kvenna, known as the top league in Iceland. She also has spent some time with the Iceland national team, playing in both the U17 and U19 tournaments. Freshman Sami Ruiz also joins the squad from Corona, Calif., coming in as a top-150 player in her class.

Defenders

• #14 Hattie Patterson - Senior from Dallas, Texas
• #17 Mia Scranton - Senior from Temecula, Calif.
• #11 Riley Crooks - Sophomore from Huntington Beach, Calif.
• #13 Norah Bell - Sophomore from Kamloops, B.C., Canada
• #18 Lucy Landherr - Sophomore from Chino Hills, Calif.
• #4 Juliet Haras - Freshman from Glendora, Calif.
• #5 Blake Hughes - Freshman from Denver, Colo.
• #6 Ava Sexton - Freshman from Southlake, Texas

The Aggie backline returns a lot of starters from last season, which is a good sign after only conceding 20 goals last season. Sophomore defender Riley Crooks comes back with the most returning minutes played in an Aggie kit. The Huntington Beach, Calif., native will continue to anchor the defense. Senior Hattie Patterson also makes her return with the second most returning minutes. The Ole Miss transfer joins Crooks in keeping shots out of the goal for opposing forwards.

Will Huffman, TexAgs

Across two season at Ole Miss and one as an Aggie, Hattie Patterson has appeared in 53 matches with 3,913 career minutes played.

Freshman Ava Sexton and sophomore Norah Bell have the tools to be a big piece in the upcoming campaign. Sexton was originally slated to be a 2027 graduate, but she left Southlake Carroll High School early to join the squad in College Station. Bell transferred from Arizona State, bringing in some Power Conference experience to the defensive side of the ball. The depth of this defensive unit is the best on the team, but the question remains: who will take charge and how many Shuttleworth will have along his backline.

Goalkeepers

• #12 Sydney Fuller - Junior from Keller, Texas
• #15 Adelaide Paredes - Junior from Newark, N.J.
• #1 Makenna August - Freshman from Temecula, Calif.

Junior Sydney Fuller is the lone returner from a year ago. The Keller native recorded 49 saves last season, helping the team to four total shutouts. Junior Adelaide Paredes will likely assume the backup role. The St. Bonaventure transfer recorded 53 saves last season, but only to a .654 percent success rate.

However, freshman Makenna August started both of A&M’s exhibition matches against Incarnate Word and Texas earlier this month.

With a team that boasts a myriad of returners, Shuttleworth will have a lot of tough decisions on his plate ahead of Wednesday’s opener.