The Portland Pilots Men’s Soccer team announced on May 12 the signing of Olayinka Ogunleye, who will join their defensive lineup ahead of the upcoming fall season.
The addition comes as the Pilots seek to strengthen their roster following the graduation of key defenders. Head coach Nick Carlin-Voigt said, “We are excited about signing Olayinka and welcoming him to The Bluff. He brings great size, athleticism and experience from the ACC to our backline and can play multiples positions for us in our system. We have big shoes to fill with the graduation of our captain Sebastian Hernandez and senior Andrew Portis, as both were rock solid for us. Ola has great potential and we look forward to seeing him adapt to our team culture as he strives to unlock his full potential as a student-athlete.”
Ogunleye arrives from Louisville Cardinals, where he played in 29 matches with 28 starts over two seasons. Last season, he scored two goals—including a game-winner against IU Indy—and provided an assist in 17 matches. His performance earned him recognition among top collegiate players; he ranked 89th in TopDrawerSoccer’s Midseason Top 100 and was named both a CSC Academic All-District Team selection and a member of the ACC All-Academic Team for 2025. He was selected by FC Dallas as the 66th overall pick in the 2026 Major League Soccer SuperDraft.
“The reason I chose Portland is because the level of competition is extremely high and I believe it’s a place where I can develop and grow as a player and person,” Ogunleye said. “Also playing with good players around me everyday will challenge me and push me to become better. Portland’s great athletics combined with private school academics is what stood out to me during this process.”
Last season, Portland achieved one of its best records at 14-2-4—its highest winning percentage since 1988—and advanced to the NCAA Tournament Elite Eight for only the third time since 1995 under Carlin-Voigt’s leadership. The program has also seen recent success with eight players selected in MLS SuperDrafts over three seasons.
Looking ahead, several recent draft picks—including Efetobo Aror, Joe Highfield, Nikos Clarke-Tosczak—will return for another year alongside new additions like Isaac Emojong.
