Orlando City Signs Midfielder Colin Guske to Homegrown Player Contract

Orlando City announced this afternoon that the club has signed OCB defensive midfielder Colin Guske to a first-team contract. The Orlando City Academy product is the 16th Homegrown Player signed by the club. Guske’s new deal begins Jan. 1, 2025 and will run through 2027 with a club option in 2028.

“Colin is just the latest example of a player that has taken full advantage of our professional development pathway,” Orlando City Executive Vice President of Soccer Operations and General Manager Luiz Muzzi said in a club press release. “He’s benefited from the full integration between the academy, OCB, and the first team within the training facility and has shown us through his performances, hard work, and dedication in training that he’s ready to take the next step. His talent and potential for growth as a player and person show a bright future and we’re excited to have him join the first team this next year.”

Guske followed his older brothers Owen and Liam in joining the Orlando City Academy. He was invited to Orlando City’s first team preseason in 2024, including its weeklong training camp in Mexico. His play earned him a spot in OCB’s starting lineup, making his professional debut on March 16 against Atlanta United 2. Playing alongside Imanol Almaguer, Guske made 24 MLS NEXT Pro regular-season appearances (23 starts) and recorded 2,044 minutes with one goal and two assists. He also played all 120 minutes of the team’s playoff game against Chicago Fire FC II.

The St. John’s native played the most minutes of any MLS NEXT Pro player born in 2007 and was selected to participate in the 2024 MLS NEXT All-Star Game in July.

In addition to training with the first team throughout preseason and the MLS campaign, the 17-year-old midfielder signed multiple short-term deals with Orlando City in 2024 for the Leagues Cup and regular season. However, he was unable to get on the field in any of those games.

Internationally, Guske has represented the United States at the youth levels, joining the U-18 roster for a trip to Japan in September and the U-19 team in Spain in October, as well as the U-19 team’s West Palm Beach camp in November.

What It Means for Orlando City

The departure of Felipe and loss of Heine Gikling Bruseth in the MLS Expansion Draft following the 2024 MLS season created a need for depth in the defensive midfield that Guske can fill. At only 17, he probably will remain with OCB as he gains more professional experience. However, he had a solid year for the Young Lions last season and appears to be a player with upside for a potential first-team future.

The fact that the club signed him to multiple short-term MLS deals last year indicated that this signing was coming. He’s a tough player who is not afraid to go in on tackles, resulting in being booked seven times last year. In addition to his physical play, he completed 88.2% of his passes last year. These aspects of his game are reminiscent of Cesar Araujo, just at a lower level due to his age and lack of professional experience. But they show that he has the potential to be a future starter.