Centre-backs with the Best Potential in USL Championship 2026

The highest-potential centre-backs in USL Championship in 2026, ranked on Field Insider.

Best goalkeepers in USL Championship Best defenders in USL Championship Best midfielders in USL Championship Best attackers in USL Championship Most in-form centre-backs in USL Championship Top-scoring centre-backs in USL Championship

At a glance

E. Bartlow of Tampa Bay Rowdies is the standout for raw talent across centre-backs in USL Championship, with a Field Insider Rating of 32.9, and K. Adams has been the form player this season, grading 27.8, and T. Maples leads the scoring with 3 goals.

The numbers a scout watches are the year-on-year jumps: K. Burks has improved his Season rating most, up +8.2 on last season. Those are the players whose trajectory is bending upward fastest.

By our market-value index, S. Suber of Pittsburgh Riverhounds is the most valuable name in this group at 7.2.

Tampa Bay Rowdies · 24/25→25/26

Most improved

K. Burks+8.2SsN

Lexington · 23/24→25/26

Pittsburgh Riverhounds

50 players · ranked by best potentialCustomise →

	Player	Team
1	E. Bartlow Centre-back	Tampa Bay Rowdies	26	747.8%	337.1%
2	J. Akpunonu Centre-back	Charleston Battery	24	13	3311.6%
3	S. Smart Centre-back	Las Vegas Lights	22	14	33
4	K. Tingey Centre-back	Oakland Roots	26	10	32
5	S. Suber Centre-back	Pittsburgh Riverhounds	25	27	32
6	Ramiz Hamouda Centre-back	Birmingham Legion	18	5	31
7	F. Nodarse Centre-back	Rhode Island	25	22	30
8	N. Gordon Centre-back	Monterey Bay	24	561.8%	3050%
9	K. Yao Centre-back	Rhode Island	25	18	3014.5%
10	Joel Garcia Centre-back	Monterey Bay	24	2	29
11	R. Ydrach Centre-back	Pittsburgh Riverhounds	25	12	29
12	K. Burks Centre-back	Lexington	26	14151.9%	2916.7%
13	B. Ofeimu Centre-back	Las Vegas Lights	25	6	29
14	A. Cissoko Centre-back	FC Tulsa	26	2020200%	2818.5%
15	N. Dossantos Centre-back	Charleston Battery	27	14	27
16	Guillaume Vacter Centre-back	Pittsburgh Riverhounds	26	16	27
17	T. Maples Centre-back	Colorado Springs	27	15	27
18	B. Rendón Centre-back	Indy Eleven	26	9	27
19	R. Hope-Gund Centre-back	Detroit City	27	14	27
20	C. Gloster Centre-back	New Mexico United	26	836.7%	2735.3%
21	Maliek Howell Centre-back	Birmingham Legion	27	16	26
22	F. Kleemann Centre-back	Sacramento Republic	27	227066.7%	2626.4%
23	B. Washington Centre-back	North Carolina	28	9	25
24	Álvaro Quezada Centre-back	El Paso Locomotive	27	11	24
25	J. Ricketts Centre-back	Miami FC	28	11	23
26	J. Erlandson Centre-back	Loudoun United	27	4	23
27	P. Hogan Centre-back	Indy Eleven	29	7	22
28	K. Adams Centre-back	Louisville City	29	28	22
29	D. Knutson Centre-back	Miami FC	29	15	21
30	A. Mabika Centre-back	Rhode Island	28	10151.2%	2138.1%
31	M. Mensah Centre-back	Birmingham Legion	28	5	21
32	L. Wyke Centre-back	Tampa Bay Rowdies	29	68.5%	2143.7%
33	Arturo Osuna Centre-back	Louisville City	29	23	20
34	W. Ackwei Centre-back	El Paso Locomotive	29	8	20
35	B. Akinyode Centre-back	Loudoun United	32	16	19
36	N. Hackshaw Centre-back	Oakland Roots	30	14	18
37	T. Brewitt Centre-back	Orange County SC	29	569.4%	1831.6%
38	D. Amoo-Mensah Centre-back	Detroit City	30	16	18
39	Jake Rufe Centre-back	Birmingham Legion	30	7	17
40	M. Bryant Centre-back	Detroit City	31	20	17
41	Y. Boudadi Centre-back	Las Vegas Lights	30	17	16
42	G. Smith Centre-back	Charleston Battery	30	554.3%	1655.7%
43	A. Ward Centre-back	San Antonio	30	10	16
44	M. Mahoney Centre-back	Colorado Springs	31	14	16
45	G. Diaz Centre-back	El Paso Locomotive	30	7	16
46	J. Scarlett Centre-back	Hartford Athletic	31	17	16
47	L. Desmond Centre-back	Sacramento Republic	31	19	14
48	K. Greene Centre-back	Oakland Roots	33	16	11
49	A. Guillén Centre-back	Tampa Bay Rowdies	33	5	11
50	D. Lacroix Centre-back	Colorado Springs	32	5	11