KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Graduate student
Paco Fernandez was named to the 2026 United Soccer Coaches Hermann Trophy Watch List, announced Wednesday, August 19.
The Hermann Trophy is presented annually by the Missouri Athletic Club and is the nation's highest individual honor recognizing the National Player of the Year as determined by voting of Division I head coaches who are members of United Soccer Coaches. It is named in honor of the late Robert Hermann, the legendary St. Louis, Mo., businessman and soccer executive who founded the National Professional Soccer League, the first pro soccer league in the United States which became the North American Soccer League. He was inducted in the U.S. Soccer Hall of Fame in 2012.
Fernandez returns to Smithfield after a successful 2025 campaign in which he was named America East Midfielder of the Year and both First Team All-Northeast and America East. He appeared in 22 games, starting 20 in his first season for the Bulldogs. He totaled 16 points on the year, scoring six goals and providing four assists. Fernandez finished the season ranked No. 66 on Top Drawer Soccer's Postseason Top-100.
The 27 player watch list was compiled by members of the Division I Men's All-America Council from a list of returning 2025 All-Americans and First Team All-Region players. A total of 15 players will be named 2026 Hermann Trophy semifinalists on December 4 at the conclusion of NCAA Division I All-American voting. From that list, head coaches will cast votes, and three players will be named finalists. The 2026 recipient will be announced January 8, 2027, in a ceremony at the historic Missouri Athletic Club in downtown St. Louis, Mo.
2026 NCAA Division I Men's Hermann Trophy Watch List
| Name |
Class |
School |
Hometown |
| Jaime Amaro |
Jr. |
UCLA |
Madrid, Spain |
| Mitchell Baker |
Jr. |
Georgetown University |
Melbourne, Australia |
| Harry Bertos |
Sr. |
University of Washington |
Bedford, Mass. |
| Braden Dunham |
So. |
Furman University |
Peachtree City, Ga. |
| Paco Fernandez |
GR-5 |
Bryant University |
Sevilla, Spain |
| Matthew Fisher |
Sr. |
University of Michigan |
Rochester, Mich. |
| Jeremy Francou |
Jr. |
UMKC |
Chartres, France |
| Ransford Gyan |
Jr. |
Clemson University |
Sunyani, Ghana |
| Niklas Herceg |
Jr. |
University of Vermont |
Alsdorf, Germany |
| Diego Hernandez |
Sr. |
Furman University |
Mesquite, Texas |
| Miguel Angel-Hernandez |
GR-5 |
University of Portland |
Perris, Calif. |
| Joe Highfield |
Jr. |
University of Portland |
Plymouth, Minn. |
| Noah Holmstrom |
Jr. |
Southern Methodist University |
Aalborg, Denmark |
| David Ismail |
GR-5 |
University of Vermont |
Bayreuth, Germany |
| William Lawson |
Jr. |
California Baptist University |
Paris, France |
| Daniel Lugo |
Sr. |
High Point University |
St. Petersburg, Fla. |
| Laurin Mack |
Jr. |
University of Maryland |
Emmendingen, Germany |
| Connor Miller |
Sr. |
Cornell University |
Centennial, Colo. |
| Calle Mollerberg |
Jr. |
University of California Santa Barbara |
Goleta, Calif. |
| Collins Oduro |
Sr. |
Indiana University |
Bibiani, Ghana |
| Pablo Pozos |
Sr. |
West Virginia University |
Madrid, Spain |
| Matthew Reed |
Sr. |
Creighton University |
Felton, Del. |
| Diego Rosas |
Sr. |
University of Portland |
Benito, Texas |
| Joschi Schelb |
Sr. |
University of North Carolina |
Freiburg, Germany |
| Marius Stenner |
Jr. |
University of Delaware |
Svendborg, Denmark |
| Iain Wagner |
Jr. |
University of San Diego |
San Diego, Calif. |
| Ryan Zellefrow |
Jr. |
University of North Carolina |
Berwyn, Pa. |
