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The San Diego FC front office has been busy since the season ended three weeks ago. A long, busy 2026 awaits a club who has no established second team through academy. Tyler Heaps and co. know there is no time to waste when it comes to picking up squad depth.
SDFC did just that, signing forward Lewis Morgan from NY Red Bulls, defenders Wilson Eisner and Kieran Sargent, as well as drafting three college players in the MLS Super Draft. With what looms to be just the beginning of a busy off season of signings, SDFC is sure to remain active on the transfer wire.
Let's take a look at what the current roster situation is shaping up to be with the newly signed players.
Adding Defensive Depth
The current list of defenders that will be available for 2026 seems long to the eye but in reality, it's very much so needed. San Diego FC is set to play in three different competitions: MLS, CONCACAF Champions League, and Leagues Cup. SDFC is excluded from participating in the U.S. Open Cup, the country's longest running pro/am soccer tournament due to their participation in the tournaments previously listed.
The starting backline seems set for now. With Luca Bombino on the left, Manu Duah and Chris McVey as center backs, and Oscar Verhoeven on the right.
Head coach Mikey Varas preaches a deep squad and that's what he currently has in the defending department. In a recent official SDFC podcast, Varas said he wants to make his job harder in a sense of creating strong competition for roster spot decisions. With the amount of young talent coming in hungry to make an impact on the senior squad, Varas will surely get his wish.
Many long-standing MLS clubs make it difficult to break through to the starting XI. The old-school mentality of "We're paying our player this much, so we have to play him" is still very much so alive today.
SDFC is now known to be a place where anyone, no matter age or background, can get opportunities if they've genuinely earned it. It's become the top three most desirable clubs to play for, as voted by the MLS Players Association.
Wilson Eisner
23-year-old Wilson Eisner joins San Diego FC after two seasons in the San Jose Earthquakes system. Eisner made his professional debut in MLS NEXT Pro with The Town FC on July 14, 2024. His performances quickly earned him a Homegrown Player contract with San Jose, and he closed out the 2024 campaign with the club. Across two seasons in MLS NEXT Pro, Eisner totaled 44 appearances, starting 38 matches, gaining consistent minutes and experience that now bolster SDFC’s depth.
“We’re pleased to add Wilson to our group,” said SDFC Sporting Director Tyler Heaps. “He is a versatile defender and we believe our environment is well suited to help him continue his development as a player. We’re excited to support his growth as he takes the next step in his career.”
A Menlo Park, California native, Eisner’s development path includes time in San Jose’s preseason environment in 2021 before a standout collegiate run at Cornell University. From 2021 to 2023, he made 36 appearances for the Big Red, starting 34 matches while contributing three goals and three assists. He was named First Team All-Ivy League as a freshman, adding another accomplished young profile to San Diego FC’s growing roster.
Kieran Sargent
Heaps brought in a defender who the staff are particularly excited for. SDFC traded their third round pick in the 2026 MLS Draft and up to $50,000 GAM to the Houston Dynamo in order to be able to pick up a young, 22-year-old defender, Kieran Sargent. It's quite a bit to give up for a player who hasn't seen MLS minutes, but the San Diego staff see something special in Sargent.
He officially became Houston’s 16th Homegrown signing in January 2024 and soon after made his MLS NEXT Pro debut with Houston Dynamo 2 on March 17, 2024. Across all competitions, Sargeant featured 26 times, earning 23 starts while contributing one goal and two assists, showing his ability to handle regular minutes at the professional level.
“We are happy to have Kieran joining us and bringing in more competition to our defending group,” said SDFC Sporting Director Tyler Heaps. “He has all the tools to continue to develop in his professional career in San Diego and we're excited to support him.”
In 2025, Sargeant took another step in his development with a loan move to USL Championship side Lexington SC. The season provided valuable experience, as he appeared in 31 matches, starting 28 of them, and finished with five assists, capturing MLS scouts' attention and adding to his reputation as a reliable and productive option.
Sargeant is a product of the Houston Dynamo Academy, where he was a four-year starter and earned U-17 Player of the Season honors in 2019–20. He later made his mark at Georgetown University, logging 60 appearances, including 47 starts, from 2021 to 2023 while recording four goals and 15 assists — a developmental path that now brings a well-rounded, experienced young player into San Diego FC’s setup.
MLS SuperDraft Selections Add to Young Pipeline
Developing youth players is one of the core fundamentals of SDFC's organization. The draft proved crucial at the beginning of last season when San Diego selected Duah with the first overall pick. Ian Pilcher also made his mark on the club. The recently selected defender duo drew interest from international scouts this year, sparking rumors of potentially moving to a European club.
Undoubtedly, San Diego struck gold. They will hope to see similar results with a trio of newcomers in 2026, each a standout at their college. Although it's unlikely the following players will get immediate opportunities like Duah and Pilcher did due to established squad depth, SDFC remains a 'never say never' environment for young talent.
Round 1, Pick 28 - Midfielder Martin Luala
Phoenix native, Luala arrives in San Diego after a steady rise through the Arizona college ranks, most recently with Grand Canyon University. During the 2025 season, he featured in 22 matches, contributing a goal and two assists while gaining valuable experience at the Division I level.
Before making the jump to GCU, Luala logged 38 appearances across two seasons with Phoenix College in NJCAA Division II, building a strong foundation of consistent minutes and match experience. That developmental path suggests a player accustomed to earning his role, adding another hardworking, game-tested option to SDFC’s growing pool of young talent.
Round 2, Pick 28 – Forward Remi Agunbiade
Toronto native Agunbiade brings proven end product into San Diego’s setup after a productive two-year stretch at the University of Akron. Across the 2024 and 2025 seasons, he appeared in 25 matches, scoring eight goals and adding two assists.
Agunbiade profiles as a powerful, true center forward with the instincts San Diego FC values in the final third. At Akron, he consistently demonstrated an ability to read the game inside the box, arriving in dangerous spaces at the right moment rather than relying solely on service. The modern-day poacher, Agunbiade will compete for a contract with SDFC.
Round 3, Pick 16 – Goalkeeper Kyle Durham
SDFC added to their goalkeeper squad depth by selecting Kyle Durham out of University of Connecticut. Durham impressed scouts as he led the nation in saves made during the 2025 season. With CJ Dos Santos penciled in as the starter and Pablo Sisniega's contract expiring at the end of 2026, Durham can possibly fill a future goalkeeper roster spot.
Duran Ferree, the third goalkeeper on the depth chart, made his debut in the playoffs when Sisniega was sent off with a red card. He proved up to the challenge - making multiple good saves to keep SDFC in the game. Assuming Sisniega leaves San Diego at the end of 2026, Ferree is posied to take the backup role. Stil, Durham has the opportunity to grow within the club and find a way to impress the coaching staff to earn opportunities - even if it is a couple years away.
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