PORTLAND, Ore. – Five Pilots were named to the TopDrawerSoccer Top 100 Men's Soccer players list heading into the 2026 season: Diego Rosas, Joe Highfield, Efetobo Aror, Nikos Clarke-Tosczak and David Ajagbe. Their five total is tied for the most of any school, along with Stanford.
Rosas has earned numerous preseason accolades ahead of the 2026 season and now slots in at 10
th on the list from TDS. Last season, Rosas led the nation in assists with 15, breaking Portland's program record. He was named the West Coast Conference Midfielder of the Year while also earning All-WCC First Team honors, All-West Region First Team honors and TopDrawerSoccer Best XI Second Team recognition. Rosas was already named a United Soccer Coaches Midfielder to Watch, an All-WCC Preseason Team selection and a TopDrawerSoccer Preseason Best XI First Team pick.
Highfield has earned similar acclaim ahead of the year. Ranked 30
th on the list, Highfield led the Pilots in scoring with 27 points (11 goals, five assists). His 11 goals and 27 points both ranked second in the WCC and also 19
th and 18
th nationally. He was an All-WCC and All-West Region First Team selection while earning United Soccer Coaches All-American Third Team honors. Highfield was also named a forward to watch by United Soccer Coaches while making the All-WCC Preseason Team and TopDrawerSoccer Preseason Best XI Third Team.
Aror was an All-WCC Second Team pick last season and All-WCC Preseason Team selection ahead of this season. Aror played in 19 matches last season for Portland with 18 starts, recording a goal and an assist while patrolling the midfield. His lone goal was the game-winner against Wisconsin. Aror was ranked 34
th on the list for TDS.
Clarke-Tosczak makes it four Pilots in the top 40 at 39
th. Clarke-Tosczak had a stellar first year on The Bluff, playing all 20 matches while logging a team-high 1,643 minutes. A left back, he earned All-WCC Honorable Mention and helped the Pilot defense concede just 12 goals all year, the fewest by any Pilot squad since 1988 and the sixth fewest nationally. Clarke-Tosczak was also drafted 19
th overall in the 2026 MLS SuperDraft by Sporting Kansas City, but elected to return.
Ajagbe rounds out the list, coming in at 56
th. The forward was an offensive force in his first year with Portland, racking up 10 goals and four assists to become the first Pilot since Benji Michel in 2016 to score 10 goals in their first season with the team. He was third in both goals and points in the WCC and also ranked 28
th and 37
th nationally in the two respective categories. Ajagbe earned All-WCC First Team and All-West Region Second Team honors last year.
The Pilots were picked to finish first in the WCC this season with four players named to the preseason All-WCC team, tied for the most in program history. The Pilots open the season against the California Golden Bears this Friday, Aug. 21 at Merlo Field. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. Check PortlandPilots.com for tickets, live stats and video options.
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