MLS announces 2016 Generation adidas class

Major League Soccer has finally unveiled the 2016 Generation adidas class of college underclassmen who will be available in this year's SuperDraft.

The class includes Georgetown junior Joshua Yaro, Wake Forest freshman midfielder Jack Harrison, Clemson junior goalkeeper Andrew Tarbell, Syracuse sophomore midfielder Julian Buescher, and Akron sophomore midfielder Richie Laryea.

North Carolina junior midfielder Omar Holness, who some media outlets had reported signing a deal with the league, was not listed. Creighton junior midfielder Fabian Herbers and UCLA sophomore Abu Danladi were both GA targets but appear to have passed on the opportunity to either return to college or go abroad.

The league also announced the signing of Stanford senior defender Brandon Vincent to a senior contract on Thursday. More than one mock draft has Vincent going to the Union with one of their two first round picks (No. 3 and No. 6).

Yaro, a central defender who many believe is a sure bet to be the No. 1 pick, is one of four foreign players in the class. Harrison is a Bristol, England, native who left the Manchester United Academy to attend boarding school in the U.S., Buescher is a 22-year-old from Germany and Laryea is Canadian. Only Tarbell, the goalkeeper whose stock rose sharply after an incredible College Cup performance, grew up in the U.S.

Generation adidas players do not count against an MLS team's salary budget and are often the more high-profile players available in the draft, but they can be hit or miss. For every Cyle Larin, Darlington Nagbe or Dom Dwyer, there are players like Enzo Martinez, Tyler Polak or Corey Hertzog who have had limited impact in MLS.

The Union has drafted six Generation adidas players: Jack McInerney, Danny Mwanga and Amobi Okugo in 2010, Zac MacMath in 2011, Chandler Hoffman in 2012 and Andre Blake in 2014. Former Union players Corben Bone (2010), Andrew Wenger (2012), Bakary Soumare (2007), Freddy Adu (2004), Justin Mapp (2002), Danny Califf (2000) and Chris Albright (1999) initially came into the league as Generation adidas.

Defender Maurice Edu was a member of the GA class in 2007, Brian Carroll in 2003, and midfielder Danny Cruz in 2009.