USA FOOTBALL ANNOUNCES INITIAL ROSTERS FOR 2026 JUNIOR FLAG FOOTBALL NATIONAL TEAMS
Elite junior athletes advance to next stage of selection process - will attend training camp in April to determine final rosters
INDIANAPOLIS, IND. – USA Football, the sport’s National Governing Body responsible for selecting, training and leading Team USA Football® in tackle and flag football for international competitions, including the 2028 Olympics, has announced the initial 18-athlete rosters for the 2026 15U and 17U U.S. Boys’ and Girls’ National Teams.
“We are excited about the caliber of athletes that make up this year’s 15U and 17U Junior National Teams. The talent pool is stronger than ever as we approach flag football’s Olympic debut in Los Angeles in 2028,” said Eric Mayes, USA Football’s Managing Director of High Performance and National Teams. “The level of competition at Junior National Team Trials was outstanding, making it a very difficult process to select only 18 athletes per team. Now that the initial rosters are set, we look forward to preparing for competition at training camp next month.”
USA Football will hold a training camp in April at the Chula Vista Elite Athlete Training Center in California. After the training camp, U.S. National Team coaches and staff will select the final 12-athlete rosters that will represent the U.S. at the fifth edition of USA Football’s Junior International Cup this summer in Los Angeles. The remaining athletes will serve as alternates.
While competing in the Junior International Cup, athletes will gain exposure to five-on-five Olympic-style flag football and further develop the skills they need to thrive on an international stage. The Junior National Teams are part of USA Football’s National Team Pathway, which offers athletes opportunities to represent their country from the youth level through adulthood.
The 72 athletes currently on the Junior National Team represent 14 states from across the country, including Ariz., Calif., Conn. Fla., Hawaii, Kan., Mass., Mich., Mo., Nev., N.J., N.Y., Texas and Va.
Twenty-seven of the athletes are returning alumni who competed in the 2025 Junior International Cup. An additional 28 athletes earned their invitations to Junior National Team Trials through USA Football’s National Team Development Program. These athletes showcased their skills in front of U.S. National Team coaches and personnel at either the 2025 Select Bowl or a Talent ID Camp.
2026 15U U.S. Boys’ Flag National Team Roster
Name; Position; Residence
Alexander Baab; WR/Rush; Mesa, Ariz.
Emeron Bourguet; WR/DB; Tucson, Ariz.
Al Brown; WR/DB; Spring Hill, Fla.
Cameron Cohen; WR/Rush; Queen Creek, Ariz.
Logan David; WR/DB; Austin, Texas
Ian Ditch; QB ; San Pedro, Calif.
Caleb Gunn; QB; Fairfax, Va.
Royce Leal Gonzalez; WR/DB; Spring Hill, Fla.
Quinn Miles; WR/QB; Overland Park, Kan.
William Mitchell; WR/DB; Carteret, N.J.
Christian Myrick; WR/LB; Deer Park, N.Y.
Kaizen Nguyen; WR/DB; Mesa, Ariz.
Tristan Ortiz-Rotolo; WR/Rush; Hawthorne, N.Y.
Chad Richardson; WR/DB; Wood-Ride, N.J.
Alexander Rivera; Rush/WR; Clifton Park, N.Y.
Antwine Short; WR/DB; Bronx, N.Y.
Lincoln Smit; C/Rush; Cedar Park, Texas
Mac Spann; WR/DB; Pinellas Park, Fla.
Head Coach: Jonathan Nagapen
Assistant Coach: Jesse Marrow
Quality Control Coach: Wilson Naboa
2026 15U U.S. Girls’ Flag National Team Roster
Name; Position; Residence
Ky'Leiah Age; WR/DB; Palmdale, Calif.
Cassiah Banks; WR/DB; Las Vegas, Nev.
Khloe Brumfield; WR/QB; Signal Hill, Calif.
Razalia Colter; Ath; Ewing, N.J.
Denver De Jongh; C/DB; Diamond Bar, Calif.
Zeyhani English; WR/DB; Las Vegas, Nev.
Riley Gebauer; WR/DB; St. Johns, Fla.
Marin Graham; WR/DB; Irvine, Calif.
Brielle Harden; WR/DB; Orlando, Fla.
Ava Irwin; WR/DB; Santa Clarita, Calif.
Evania Maas; WR/DB; Phoenix, Ariz.
Jayde McCloud; WR/DB; Tampa, Fla.
Emeline Porter; QB/DB; Parkville, Mo.
Myla Ramos; QB/DB; Woburn, Mass.
Kaitlyn Richards; WR/DB; Clayton, N.J.
Charlotte Traa; DB/WR; Rockwall, Texas
Tiyad'e “Yaya” Westerlund; QB; Henderson, Nev.
Brooke Wright; WR/DB; Haymarket, Va.
Head Coach: Todd Thompson
Assistant Coach: Nathan Williams
Quality Control Coach: Ty Johnson
2026 17U U.S. Boys’ Flag National Team Roster
Name; Position; Residence
Britton Bayag; WR/DB; Miami, Fla.
Kendren Bourguet; WR/DB; Tucson, Ariz.
Nicolas Constantino; WR/DB; Staten Island, N.Y.
Christopher Cortinas; WR; Coral Springs, Fla.
Ryan Fernandez; WR/LB; Las Vegas, Nev.
Wrigley Hamrick; Rush/WR; Baldwin City, Kan.
Kanai Hongo; WR/DB; Yuma, Ariz.
James Kukla; WR/DB; Cedar Park, Texas
Gavin Ledwith; WR/DB; Staten Island, N.Y.
Evyn Payton; QB/DB; Forney, Texas
Jaylen Peguero; WR/QB; Middletown, N.Y.
Nathaniel Platellas; WR/DB; Bronx, N.Y.
Carson Pope; WR/DB; Celina, Texas
Nicolas Ray; Rush/WR; New York, N.Y.
Malcomb Ross II; Ath; West Bloomfield, Mich.
Joseph “JoJo” Royal; QB/WR; Middletown, N.Y.
Andrew Sitar; QB; Springhill, Texas
Anthony Vera; QB; Miami, Fla.
Head Coach: Chris Hughes
Assistant Coach: Richie Delgado
Quality Control Coach: Al Tucay
2026 17U U.S. Girls’ Flag National Team Roster
Name; Position; Residence
Emery Beckett; QB/WR; Lakeway, Texas
Isla Collins; Rush/WR; Tucson, Ariz.
Makena Cook; QB/WR; Costa Mesa, Calif.
Adelynn Curry; WR/DB; St. Augustine, Fla.
Natalie Fischer; WR/DB; Tampa, Fla.
Giavanna “Gigi” Gambino; C/DB; Tampa, Fla.
Molly Hawkins; C/DB; Leander, Texas
Ariana Karastanovic; WR/DB; Staten Island, N.Y.
Jodie Keo; WR/DB; Kapolei, Hawaii
Ayden Klaiber; WR/DB; Tampa, Fla.
Katherine Meier; QB; Newport Beach, Calif.
Hailey Morgan; WR/DB; Vernon, Conn.
Isabella Rein; WR/DB; Lutz, Fla.
Kaitlyn Reynolds; WR/DB; Cedar Park, Texas
Tessa Russell; DB/WR; Newport Beach, Calif.
Emily Salafia; QB/WR; Staten Island, N.Y.
Jaelah Taylor; WR/DB; Hamden, Conn.
Trishelle Tucay; C/Rush; Las Vegas, Nev.
Head Coach: Joshua Saunders
Assistant Coach: Nadia Bibbs
Quality Control Coach: Angellica Grayson
About USA Football: USA Football is the National Governing Body (NGB) for American Football in the United States and the sole U.S. member of the International Federation of American Football (IFAF), the international governing body for the sport of American football. USA Football selects, trains and leads Team USA Football® in tackle and flag football disciplines, while delivering world-class football development resources, sport standards and competitive opportunities to empower athletes at every level. USA Football is committed to ensuring every athlete has access to develop and compete in the game through safer, inclusive and innovative pathways. For more information, visit usafootball.com.