As interesting as the boys IMG Academy 150 ratings for 2016 and 2017 are, there’s perhaps no class more intriguing from a projection standpoint than the 2018. 

For one, the top of this class will fill out the majority of the U17 cycle just firing up now in advance of the next U17 World Cup in 2017. There’s perhaps no age range more critical at the national team level, considering these players are old enough to begin affecting a tangible style of play and young enough to be malleable. While the U17 MNT still technically doesn’t have a coach - it seems unlikely the Fed will keep Richie Williams for another cycle - we can look deeply into the Top 150 for players who’ll be major players over the next two years.

Of course, the future impact of this class doesn’t just rest with the U17 MNT. There are college scholarships to be meted out, pro contracts to sign, club titles to win. All that contributes to a 2018 class that’s perhaps the most interesting (and shadowed) in the pool.

We recently released our fall update for the boys IMG Academy 150 for the class of 2018, which you can access here. Today, we take a deep dive into some class analysis on top movers and shakers in one of the most critical age groups in the national team pool.