Real Salt Lake has a history of developing talented players through its academy program, and it is looking up.
Real Salt Lake has been a very fun club to follow through the years. From MLS Cup Glory in 2009 to Concacaf brilliance in 2011, this club has a very storied history. The Claret and Cobalt have seen many big players, from Javier Morales and Robby Findley to Kyle Beckerman and Nick Rimando. There have been plenty of big names that have called Utah home. Still there is one underappreciated aspect of RSL’s success: Player development in the Real Salt Lake Academy.
The best players can come from anywhere. Some come from other leagues, some come from clubs in the same league, and some come from the club’s own academy. That’s the case for longtime RSL player Justen Glad, and rising star Zavier Gozo. There are plenty of examples, and the list goes on: Aaron Herrera, Sebastian “Bofo” Saucedo, Corey Baird and Brooks Lennon. These are just a few of the great talents that this club has seen come from the ranks of the Academy.
Real Salt Lake does not do this by accident. The Claret and Cobalt have found a formula, and it works. The Academy started in Arizona before moving to Herriman in 2017. The Academy has been a big driver for the Club, and the latest prodigy is Zavier Gozo. Gozo scored 16 goals in 2022 while at the RSL Academy. He signed with the RSL first team in 2025, and scored his first goal against Vancouver. RSL has been pumping out talent for a while now, and Gozo joins Justen Glad on the list of incredible active talents that the club has brought out of the academy.
Real Salt Lake, of course, has a bright future. The newest additions to the club show some promise. Van Parker, Antonio Riquelme, Diego Rocio, and Griffin Dillon have all earned their spots, and they look to make an impact. These four stood out at the RSL academy and they deserve the best in Utah. One RSL fan said Griffin Dillon is a “huge signing,” while another called him “the best player they’ve ever played with.”
RSL has another big step, one that Dillon went through, the Real Monarchs. They are often overlooked, but they do a lot of work giving academy players a place to adjust from playing in the academy to a more professional and mature team. This is a key stepping stone, and Zavier Gozo found success in this same pathway. So if Gozo can do it, so can Dillon. There is plenty of excitement and buzz around the Academy, and this is a great sign.
Of course, everyone’s path to RS:L and MLS is different, and the 2026 MLS SuperDraft selections will be covered in a separate article. The Claret and Cobalt aren’t messing around when it comes to their talent and player development, and everyone at the club has spoken highly of this. If they can shape players like Justen Glad who have spent their entire RSL careers in Utah, then just imagine what they can do with the increased resources, technology, and performance metrics that the Academy now has.
The RSL Academy is often called one of the best in the US, and it has been cooking lately. There are some analysts that call Zavier Gozo the best Academy player since the glory days. The point isn’t that the RSL Academy is making a comeback as much as it is that the RSL Academy has been producing top talent for a while, and has found gold again. This is a great time to be an RSL fan.
Real Salt Lake is getting closer to the season on February 21st, and the newly signed academy players have a chance to prove themselves.
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