Riley Dean Thomas

Austin FC selected Riley Thomas in the second round of the 2025 MLS SuperDraft. Thomas initially signed an MLS NEXT Pro contract with Austin FC II on February 13, 2025 before inking a first team deal two months later. Thomas has gone on to make 29 appearances for Austin FC II in MLS NEXT Pro and remains eligible to appear in MLS or MLS NEXT Pro matches.

A product of the University of North Carolina, Thomas appeared in 86 matches across five (5) seasons at UNC, starting 85 of them. In 2024, he was selected as a United Soccer Coaches Third Team All-American. He was voted to the All-ACC Second Team and named to the All-ACC Academic Team for the third year in a row as a senior. Thomas helped Carolina to be the fifth-best scoring defense in the nation and first in the Atlantic Coast Conference in 2023.