Name
Riley ThomasDate of Birth
3.15.2002 (23)Position
DefenderAustin FC selected Riley Thomas last December via the MLS SuperDraft and initially signed an MLS NEXT Pro contract with Austin FC II on February 13. He has made two (2) MLS NEXT Pro appearances to date, playing all 90 minutes of ATXFC II’s 4-2 win against Colorado Rapids 2 and 0-0 draw against St. Louis City 2. Thomas was on the bench for Austin FC’s last four (4) MLS matches via a series of Short-Term Agreements.
On April 11, the Club signed Thomas to an MLS contract. Thomas, 23, joined Austin FC on a deal guaranteed through the end of the 2025 season with options for 2026 and 2027. Thomas also signed a loan agreement with Austin FC II and remains eligible to appear in MLS NEXT Pro matches.
A product of the University of North Carolina, Thomas appeared in 86 matches across five (5) seasons at UNC, starting 85 of them. In 2024, he was selected as a United Soccer Coaches Third Team All-American. He was voted to the All-ACC Second Team and named to the All-ACC Academic Team for the third year in a row as a senior. Thomas helped Carolina to be the fifth-best scoring defense in the nation and first in the Atlantic Coast Conference in 2023.