This group, led by a US youth international, may not be ripe with center backs ready to slot right into a starting XI, but there are plenty of project-type players with promising futures.
1. Ramon Martin Del Campo (UC Davis): Martin Del Campo is a US U-23 international, 6-foot-2, nearly 200 pounds and every bit as physical as those dimensions might lead you to believe. Those are three very good reasons why he’ll be an excellent fit on an MLS team that’s looking for a prototypical hulking center back. The one knock on him, despite his tough tackling and physical dominance, is his eagerness to play the ball can pull him out of position and expose him to combination play.
2. Skylar Thomas (Syracuse): Remember, Syracuse allowed just 12 goals in 21 games this year, and while stud goalkeeper Alex Bono had something to do with it, the backline was just as impressive. At 6-foot-3 and 180 pounds, there’s very little question that Thomas has the physical capacity to play in MLS.
3. Tim Parker (St. John’s): Ignore St. John’s 4-10-4 record this season for a second. Part of the issue was that the Red Storm were mostly unable to score goals this year, and that does nothing to detract from the good things that Parker brings to the table. He’s athletic, strong, great in 1-v-1 situations and can be a threat on set pieces. He’s not the most skilled center back in the world, but if you want a physical presence on your backline, then Parker can fit the bill.
4. Anthony Manning (Saint Louis): Manning is surprisingly understated for a guy who’s 6-foot-4 and 200 pounds, but he’s also surprisingly effective playing with the ball at his feet. That’s a pretty devastating one-two punch for a center back and makes us believe that the transition to the MLS level is not going to be too much of a stretch for him.
5. Oumar Ballo (UMBC): Ballo is an athletic, left-footed center back who can dominate in the air, and that is enough to land him a chance on an MLS squad. The problem is his composure and decision-making when he’s on the ball because center back is a position where you can’t be making the right call only 90 percent of the time. If he can improve that, then fine, but it’s a lot to ask of a guy who’s turning 24 in April.
