PORTLAND, Ore. – Portland Pilots Men's Soccer continues to bolster their roster ahead of the 2026 fall season with the addition of Olayinka Ogunleye to the back line.
"We are excited about signing Olayinka and welcoming him to The Bluff," Portland head coach Nick Carlin-Voigt said. "He brings great size, athleticism and experience from the ACC to our backline and can play multiples positions for us in our system. We have big shoes to fill with the graduation of our captain Sebastian Hernandez and senior Andrew Portis, as both were rock solid for us. Ola has great potential and we look forward to seeing him adapt to our team culture as he strives to unlock his full potential as a student-athlete."
Ogunleye joins the Pilots after spending the last two seasons with the Louisville Cardinals. He played in 29 matches with 28 starts over two years with the Cardinals and was a crucial part of that back line. This past season, he scored two goals – with his goal against IU Indy winning the game for Louisville – and added an assist in 17 matches.
The Illinois native was named one of the top players in the country, ranking 89
th in the TopDrawerSoccer Midseason Top 100. A CSC Academic All-District Team selection as well as a 2025 ACC All-Academic Team selection, Ogunleye was picked 66
th overall in the 2026 MLS SuperDraft by FC Dallas, making him the fifth player on the Pilots to have been drafted by an MLS team.
"The reason I chose Portland is because the level of competition is extremely high and I believe it's a place where I can develop and grow as a player and person," Ogunleye said. "Also playing with good players around me everyday will challenge me and push me to become better. Portland's great athletics combined with private school academics is what stood out to me during this process."
Momentum is strong for Portland, who put together one of the best seasons in program history this past season. Their 14-2-4 record gave them their best winning percentage since 1988 (.800) and helped them earn the 8-seed in the NCAA Tournament. It was the third time in program history the Pilots have earned the first-round bye and the second time under Carlin-Voigt. They advanced to the Elite Eight for the second time under Carlin-Voigt and third time since 1995, becoming one of just four programs to reach the Elite Eight twice in the last four years. It was the first time they've ever hosted the Elite Eight as well.
The Pilots were ranked in the top 10 nationally from Sept. 9 onward, including ranking as high as first in the nation. It was the first time in program history the Pilots have ranked first overall in the United Soccer Coaches Poll. Along with the team success, the Pilots have had eight players selected to the MLS SuperDraft the last three seasons and three players earn invites to U.S. Men's National Team camps. Three of the Pilots' most recent MLS SuperDraft selections – Efetobo Aror (12
th overall in 2025), Joe Highfield (11
th overall in 2026) and Nikos Clarke-Tosczak (19
th overall in 2026) – have all elected to return for the 2026 season as well, and the Pilots added another MLS SuperDraft pick in Isaac Emojong earlier this season.
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