The USL isn’t a star-driven league. There are a few big-name players that have come up in the Championship (think Cal Jennings, 2025’s likely Golden Boot winner), but most higher-profile stars already came to the USL with a reputation from either MLS (a la Sebastian Blanco) or the fringes of the USMNT (see: Rubio Rubin and Juan Agudelo).
Even if you watch the Championship and League One from week to week, there are plenty of under-the-radar contributors that deserve their flowers. Who’s reached that level in 2025? I’ve got nine names to know.
Francisco Bonfiglio, FW, Miami FC
Two years into Miami’s bottom-feeder era, their standout players don’t always receive proper attention. Francisco Bonfiglio is one of the best pure strikers in the USL, yet he hasn’t been given his moment in the sun because he plays for a last-place team.
