For the best of the best from the class of 2023, the graduation year is immaterial with several signed to professional contracts already.

In fact, there’s a handful of players from this week’s rankings update that have carved out major playing time a few months into the MLS season.

While achieving collective success is the immediate goal, the vast majority of players from the class are born in 2005. That means that they have or will turn 18 this year. And for those standouts, it removes an obstacle to potentially be transferred abroad to a club in Europe.