Previewing Northwestern’s Men’s Soccer Newcomers for 2026

Bryan BoanohMon, July 20, 2026 at 4:20 PM UTC·5 min read

2025 was the third consecutive winning season in the first five years at the helm for men’s soccer head coach Russell Payne, and he had the Wildcats playing their best soccer in his tenure. A standout 2-0 win against No. 17 Indiana was the highlight of the campaign, while the ’Cats put up strong performances in narrow losses to ranked Wisconsin and Michigan on the road.

Looking to build on such a promising year, this upcoming season could prove to be a turning point in the Russell Payne era.

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While kickoff is still months away, Northwestern is making all of the right moves to capitalize on its momentum from last season. As is the case every season, key players left due to graduation. But Payne and his staff did an excellent job filling in the gaps, producing a recruiting class that is ranked no. 23 in the country according to Top Drawer Soccer.

With a talented crop of players bolstering a ’Cats roster looking to post a winning conference record for the second time ever, here are the players to look out for in the upcoming season.

Gavin Baer | DEF | Suffield Academy

The strength for Northwestern men’s soccer last year, as is the case for many of NU’s sports teams, was its defense. Payne’s men conceded 13 goals in 10 Big Ten games, good for fourth best in the conference and allowing only three multi-goal performances across that stretch.  Two of those came on the road against nationally ranked opponents. Senior Defender Nigel Prince played a large part in NU’s defense, starting all games he appeared in and providing consistent high-quality performances.

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Coming out of high school, Gavin Baer can step in and provide impactful minutes right away. The incoming freshman comes in with experience playing at the highest level, having played at MLS Next Fest, National Academy Championships and was the MVP of the High School All-American game. Baer is a physical defender, using his 6’3 frame to consistently win headers and body attackers off the ball, but he couples that physicality with elite timing and anticipation on his challenges.

What truly makes Baer the complete package is his ability with the ball at his feet. He is extremely comfortable under pressure and is a capable passer who seamlessly breaks defensive lines with his vision.

For a team that prides itself on defensive solidity, Baer is an extremely valuable pickup and could immediately slide in at CB this upcoming season.

Gabe Smyth | MID | St. John’s

While Gavin Baer will be coming to NU without a minute of college soccer under his belt, the exact opposite is true of Gabe Smyth.

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Smyth has made 31 collegiate starts over the past two years and played over 1300 minutes for St. John’s last season, enabling him to be a key rotational piece right out of the gate — a huge plus considering his extremely valuable skillset.

Smyth plays in a deeper position, just in front of the backline, but he is truly an all around midfielder. He consistently plays help defense and wins the ball back for the attack, but he provides the most value when he is in possession of the ball. Smyth has brilliant control and dribbling, allowing him to keep the ball in tight and congested areas of the pitch while being able to push the ball forward when the opportunity arises. Additionally, he is a great progressive passer, able to play long balls out to wingers to start attacks.

All of that is without mentioning his three goals last season, showing he can pop up on the offensive side of the pitch as well. Smyth will be a strong addition to the NU midfield, and could log valuable minutes alongside Jason Ghadajar and rotate minutes with Baraka Tarleton at defensive midfield, similarly to how Jayvin Van Deventer was used last season.

Luca Toro | FWD | COE/The Pro Project

For as good as the ’Cats were defensively in conference play this past season, the attack did not reach the same heights. NU’s 10 goals in conference play were tied with Ohio State for the second fewest. If that stat alone would be enough of a signal to address the offense in the offseason, the ’Cats lost their two assist leaders in the offseason: Joe Suchecki and Alejandro Martinez Santamaria, with the former being the team’s overall leader in points.

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Luca Toro is a direct answer to the goal scoring issue.

Similarly to Baer, Toro has been playing against MLSNext competition for years in preparation for Big Ten play. While he has experience playing all across the front line, Toro’s most natural position is on the right wing. He’s an extremely direct player who loves receiving the ball with space to attack his defender in 1-on-1 situations. He’s often able to beat his man with his dribbling ability and put quality crosses into the box, which is a useful skill playing alongside Peter Riesz and Aaron O’Reilly. Additionally, he is an extremely clinical finisher in and around the box, especially when shooting across goal aiming for the far post. Toro would likely find himself most effective in games where the ’Cats have less of the ball and are relying on counterattacks to generate chances; he’ll likely have more opportunities in transition in these games, wherein he’ll have more space to run at defenders with the ball at his feet.

Ethan Nakolo | FWD | Oklahoma Christian University

While Luca Toro’s dribbling and crossing make him a strong replacement for Santamaria out wide, Nakoko is an out-and-out striker who will be directly responsible for putting the ball into the net for the ’Cats.

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Nakolo notched a program record 17 goals in 16 matches last season, winning player of the year honors at both regional and conference levels. When watching the tape it’s clear to see why Nakolo is an elite finisher.

Left foot, right foot, he’s equally proficient with both. He’s also incredibly quick footed, able to carve out space for his shots with quick dribbling and body feints. Add in his pace, and you get a complete goal-scoring forward.

Even with how well O’Reilly played last season, it’s hard to imagine that Nakolo is a day one starter — especially against the upper echelon of Big Ten competition — but he is definitely another much needed attacking option and could potentially form an elite strike partnership alongside the Naperville native.