Nashville Soccer Club Announces 2026 Roster Decisions

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Nov. 17, 2025) – Nashville Soccer Club announced today the list of contract options the club will exercise ahead of the 2026 Major League Soccer season.

Nashville SC exercised contract options on:

Defender Dan Lovitz

Midfielder Alex Muyl

Forward Woobens Pacius

Goalkeeper Xavier Valdez

Nashville SC declined contract options on:

Midfielder Bryan Acosta

Midfielder Gastón Brugman

Forward Maximus Ekk

Defender Julian Gaines

Defender Tate Schmitt

Defender Wyatt Meyer

Goalkeeper Joe Willis

Nashville SC players out of contract:

Teal Bunbury

Walker Zimmerman

Additionally, defender Taylor Washington will not return in 2026 as he announced his retirement effective at the end of the 2025 season.

The Boys in Gold’s current roster includes a core group of veterans, 2025 newcomers, and young players who won the first major professional sports trophy in Tennessee history (Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup) and helped lead Nashville SC to club records in MLS regular season and playoffs wins (17), wins across all competitions (22), and goals scored (75 in all competitions, 61 in MLS), including:

• 2025 Landon Donovan MLS MVP Finalist and MLS All-Star Sam Surridge (25 goals and 5 assists in MLS; 31 goals across all competitions)
• 2022 MLS MVP and Golden Boot winner and 2025 MLS All-Star Hany Mukhtar (18 goals and 12 assists in 40 appearances)
• 2025 newcomers including defenders Andy Najar (MLS All-Star; 3 goals and 10 assists in 40 appearances) and Jeisson Palacios (2 goals, 2 assists in 28 appearances), forward Ahmed Qasem (3 goals, 1 assist in 33 appearances), and midfielder Eddi Tagseth (4 assists in 39 appearances)
• A core group of young players all age 24 or younger including Homegrown defender Chris Applewhite (7 appearances and 4 starts), midfielder Matthew Corcoran (3 assists in 14 appearances), midfielder Jonathan Pérez (2 goals, 3 assists in 25 appearances), goalkeeper Brian Schwake (5W-0L-0D in Nashville’s run to the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Championship), midfielder Patrick Yazbek (1 goal, 5 assists in 40 appearances), and a pair of Homegrown players in midfielder Isaiah Jones and forward Adem Sipić.

Acosta, Brugman, Bunbury, Schmitt, Willis, and Zimmerman are eligible for Free Agency which opens on Dec. 10. To be eligible for Free Agency, players must be at least 24 years old the year the preceding league season concludes and have at least four MLS service years. Clubs are free to engage available free agents starting at noon CT on Dec. 10.

Gaines and Meyer are eligible for the Re-Entry Draft Stage 1 and 2, if needed, on Dec. 11 and 17, respectively. Eligible Players include those who are at least 22 years old, have a minimum of one service year, and who are not eligible for Free Agency.

Ekk is eligible for the 2025 MLS End-of-Year Waivers process which opens on Dec. 9 and closes at 4 p.m. CT on Dec. 11. The MLS End-of-Year Waivers process consists of players whose options are not exercised, who are not subject to first right of refusal, and who are not eligible for Free Agency or Re-Entry Draft.

Nashville SC roster as of Nov. 17:

Goalkeepers: Brian Schwake, Xavier Valdez

Defenders: Chris Applewhite (Homegrown), Josh Bauer, Jordan Knight, Dan Lovitz, Jack Maher, Andy Najar, Jeisson Palacios

Midfielders: Matthew Corcoran, Isaiah Jones (Homegrown), Hany Mukhtar, Alex Muyl, Jonathan Pérez, Jacob Shaffelburg, Ahmed Qasem, Eddi Tagseth, Partrick Yazbek

Forwards: Tyler Boyd, Woobens Pacius, Adem Sipić (Homegrown), Sam Surridge