DALLAS (SMU) – SMU Men's Soccer announced the addition of eight new Mustangs and the return of Owen Zarnick to the 2026 roster on Friday.
 
Head Coach Kevin Hudson announces the addition of eight new Mustangs, consisting of five freshmen and three transfers, who will provide strength in the 2026 squad. The three transfers join SMU's seven spring signees and were ranked third in the nation by TopDrawerSoccer.
 
"We are excited to welcome this talented group to our roster. These student-athletes bring a combination of experience and youth to our program," said Hudson.
 
"We have extremely high expectations for these young men and believe they will one day serve as the backbone of SMU Men's Soccer."
 
Zarnick is set to return for his final year through a medical hardship waiver following his injury last season. The standout defender has 46 starts as a Mustang—eight of which were in the first eight matches of last season prior to his injury. He recorded 22 clean sheets through four seasons and scored four goals in 2024.

Sam Cunniffe – Defender, Freshman | Shrewsbury, Mass.
Cunniffe joins SMU from Shrewsbury, Massachusetts, to strengthen SMU's backline.
 
The 6-1 center back scored seven goals and made four assists last season with the U19 Boston Bolts in the MLS Next. He was named to three MLS Next All-Star Games and won Player of the Year honors with the U17 Boston Bolts.

Ryder Balch – Defender, Freshman | Trophy Club, Texas
Staying close to home, Balch comes to Hilltop from Trophy Club, Texas.
 
Balch helped Solar Soccer Club to make the semifinals of the U19 ECNL Championships. In the high school scene, Balch was named District 4-6A Defensive Player of the Year and First Team All-Region with Byron Nelson High School this past season—leading the Bobcats to the second round of the 6A Boys Soccer Area Playoffs this spring.

Tweneboa "Bingo" Kodua – Midfielder, Junior | Accra, Ghana/Oral Roberts
Kodua transfers from Oral Roberts to add more depth to the Mustangs' midfield.
 
The Ghanaian started all 17 matches and clocked a total of 1,454 minutes for the Gold Eagles last season. He scored one goal and recorded nine shots (two on goal) as a central midfielder. Prior to Oral Roberts, Kodua played at Kentucky.

Sam Miller – Defender, Freshman | Sherwood, Oregon
Hailing from Oregon, Miller is another addition to SMU's defense.
 
Miller is capable of covering the center back and fullback positions of the defensive line. Miller was named to the Oregon First Team All-State and has scored 21 goals in his high school career, proving to be an offensive threat from the backline.

Dunes Nielsen – Midfielder, Junior | Prosper, Texas/Utah Tech
Returning to his home state, Nielsen joins SMU as a transfer from Utah Tech.
 
The midfielder was named in the Second Team All-Western Athletics Conference last season after starting 14 matches for Utah Tech. He scored five goals and made an assist for the Trailblazers in 2025.
 
Micah Ramirez – Goalkeeper, Grad | Plano, Texas/Western Illinois
Ramirez returns to the metroplex as a transfer after being Western Illinois's main goalkeeper for two seasons.
 
The 6-0 goalkeeper started all 20 matches for the Leathernecks, recording three clean sheets last season. He made 104 saves in 2025, ranked 25^th in the division with 4.60 saves per game.
 
Max Sauceda – Defender, Freshman | Austin, Texas
Texas native Sauceda comes to the Hilltop to fortify SMU's defense
 
The 6-3 center back is a three-time MLS Next National Academy Championship All-Star selectee and was most recently named in the U19 MLS Next NAC All-Star in 2026. In high school, Sauceda was a two-time First Team All-Region (2025 and 2026) and First Team All-District (2025 and 2026) honoree.
 
Joseluis Villagomez – Defender, Freshman | El Paso, Texas
Villagomez joins the Mustangs as a fullback from El Paso, Texas.
 
The fullback is a 2025 ECNL Conference Player of the Year, ECNL All American Team and ECNL First Team All Selectee. He earned USL Championship 5 Academy Contracts and scored five goals in three games in the 2026 ECNL Championship.
 
SMU's Upcoming Season
The Mustangs will host 10 regular-season matches at Washburne Stadium, including four conference matchups. They will open the season against Stetson at home on Aug. 20.