RICHMOND, Va. – The Richmond Kickers have signed attacker Tyler Freeman ahead of the 2026 season, the club announced Wednesday. The Overland Park, Kansas native brings experience across MLS, USL Championship, MLS NEXT Pro, and international youth competition.
Freeman developed through the Sporting Kansas City Academy, joining the organization at age 11 before becoming the second-youngest player in club history to sign an MLS contract at just 15 years old. He went on to make 35 appearances for Sporting Kansas City II, gaining valuable professional minutes early in his career. Freeman also featured for Swope Park Rangers as part of the club’s developmental pathway. During this period, Freeman gained international experience with a developmental loan to Karlsruhe U19 in Germany, further rounding out his game in a competitive European environment.
“Tyler Freeman is a dynamic attacker with the ability to create goals on his own or help create them for his teammates,” said Chief Sporting Officer and Head Coach Darren Sawatzky. “He goes at players with tenacity, can play across the front line positions, and is very quick in transition. The addition of Freeman allows us to play different formations and give teams different looks when we are working to score goals. His experience at different levels and in different leagues will translate well to the competitive USL League One season.”
The now 23-year-old forward enjoyed a standout season with Loudoun United FC in 2022, where he recorded eight goals in 24 appearances, marking the most productive scoring campaign of his career and establishing himself as a consistent attacking threat in the final third. His performances showcased his ability to find space, take on defenders, and finish chances from wide and central positions.
Freeman later joined Nashville SC, where he continued his development within an MLS environment and spent time with the club’s MLS NEXT Pro affiliate, Huntsville City FC, during their inaugural season. With Huntsville, Freeman appeared in 10 matches, including five starts, logging 445 minutes. He also gained additional USL Championship experience during a loan spell with Birmingham Legion FC.
“Richmond is one of the most historic clubs in the country and I’m so excited to get out and play at City Stadium in front of our fans,” Freeman said.
Most recently, Freeman featured for Carolina Core, making three appearances before additional stints with Ventura County and Western Suburbs, gaining further match experience ahead of his move to Richmond.
On the international stage, Freeman has represented the United States at the U-14, U-16, and U-17 levels, playing a key role in the U.S. squad that earned a second-place finish at the 2019 CONCACAF U-17 Championship.
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Signing pending league and federation approval.
Richmond Kickers Roster as of January 14, 2026
Goalkeepers: Yann Fillion, James Sneddon
Defenders: Griffin Garnett, Beckett Howell, Ethan Kos, Sam Layton, Daniel Moore, Mujeeb Murana, Sean Vinberg
Midfielders: Austin Amer, Hayden Anderson, Dakota Barnathan, Nils Seufert
Forwards: Darwin Espinal, Tyler Freeman, Landon Johnson, Josh Kirkland, Owen O’Malley, Tarik Pannholzer
