Men’s Soccer Announces Eight 2026 Roster Additions

CINCINNATI - Xavier head men's soccer coach John Higgins announced the addition of eight newcomers to the 2026 roster on Wednesday. All told, the Musketeers will welcome 11 newcomer to the team in 2026.

SOCCER SIGNEES

Charles Barnes - Goalkeeper - Loudoun, Va. (Winthrop)
Joshua Cline - Defender - Centerville, Ohio (Northern Kentucky)
Nuno (Fred) Cotta - Midfielder - Lisbon, Portugal (Snow College)
Julian Fitzgerald - Midfielder - Porto, Portugal
Jayvyn Jackson - Forward - Orlando, Fla. (Indiana)
Tyson Lipp - Forward - Southlake, Texas (Southlake Carroll HS) ^
Ajmal Tesilimi - Defender - Brampton, Canada (Iowa Western CC) ^
Yves Vaage - Defender - Oslo, Norway (SMU/Gardner-Webb)
Efraims Valutadatils - Midfielder - Jurmal, Latvia (Iowa Western CC)
Immanuel Wayoro - Midfielder - Roca, Neb. (Rockhurst University)
Beckham Williams - Midfielder - Oklahoma City, Okla. (Epic Charter Schools) ^

^ announced on Nov. 20, 2025
Eight new signees in Bold

CHARLES BARNES

NOTABLES
Played in two matches with one start at Winthrop in 2025… posted a 1.66 goals against average with 13 saves… went 0-1-1 in goal.

QUOTING COACH HIGGINS
" He is very similar to Cole Jenson with his athletic ability. He has great tools to be a top keeper at this level. He will come in and learn and develop under Jonny (Mennell)."

JOSHUA CLINE

NOTABLES
Played in 31 matches, making 19 starts in two seasons (2024-25) at Northern Kentucky… took 12 shots and had one assist… logged 1,818 minutes… helped the team post two shutouts with a 1.29 goals against average in 2025… helped the team post four shutouts in 2024 with a 1.31 goals against average in 2024.

QUOTING COACH HIGGINS
"Josh is a great athlete and a real competitor defensively. He can play in a couple of different positions in the back four and his experience in NCAA DI will be a benefit to our defensive group."

NUNO (FRED) COTTA

NOTABLES
Played in 35 matches, making 34 starts at Snow College (2024-25)… had one goal and one assist… took seven shots (two on goal)… logged 1,869 minutes… helped the team post a 27-9-2 record in two seasons.

QUOTING COACH HIGGINS
"He has great experience in Europe and with a great Snow College program. He will give us a great presence in the middle of the park. He can cover ground and break up play and will give us a real presence in the midfield."

JULIAN FITZGERALD

NOTABLES
Is a center midfielder… brother, Cristiano, plays on the men's soccer team at Xavier… played for Bruno Cancela at CLIP from 2017-21… played for Boavista and FC Cincinnati youth organizations… helped his team post a 13-8-11 record last season.

QUOTING COACH HIGGINS
"Julian is a super technical and crafty player who can play between the lines. We are keen to get him in and once he is up to speed physically with the college game he will be a player who can link the play and create opportunities for us."

JAYVYN JACKSON

NOTABLES
Did not see action in his lone season at Indiana in 2025… played club for OFC Barca in United Premier Soccer League… helped club win UPSL Central Florida title… scored 35 goals in 15 matches as senior at Colonial HS… was ranked No. 15 nationally in scoring according to MaxPreps.com.

QUOTING COACH HIGGINS
"Jayvyn is a dynamic attacking player who has an eye for goals. His pace will cause teams problems and his ability to finish on his left foot will add an extra dimension to our attack."

YVES VAAGE

NOTABLES
Played in six matches, making two starts at Gardner-Webb in 2025… had one assist and logged 272 minutes… helped the Runnin' Bulldogs post a 13-3-2 record in 2025… spent the 2024 season at SMU, helping the team post a 12-3-6 record.

QUOTING COACH HIGGINS
"He will bring a lot of experience to our back line. He has had a great career back home and is eager to prove himself at the college level. He has all the tools to play anywhere across the back line for us."

EFRAIMS VALUTADATILS

NOTABLES
Played in 39 matches, making 34 starts in two seasons (2024-25) at Iowa Western CC… had three goals and 19 assists… was named to the 2024 ICCAC All-Region First Team… was named to the 2024 ICCAC Academic All-Region First Team… was named to the 2025 ICCAC Academic All-Region Spring First Team… helped the team post a 13-3-5 record in 2025… helped the team post a 23-0-2 record in 2024… helped the team win the 2024 NJCAA DI Men's Soccer National Championship... was a 2025 NJCAA First Team All-American honoree.

QUOTING COACH HIGGINS
"He is another recruit from Mike Brown at Iowa Western CC. He has been coached and developed there and brings a winning mentality with him. He will fit in to the middle of the park for us and give us real quality on the ball to link the play."

IMMANUEL WAYORO

NOTABLES
Played in 37 matches, making 22 starts in two seasons (2024-25) at Rockhurst… had 11 goals and four assists… took 61 shots (25 on goal)… helped the team post a 12-5-4 record in 2025… was named to the D2CCA All-Region Second Team in 2025… named to the CSC Academic All-District Team in 2025… named to the All-GLVC First Team in 2025.

QUOTING COACH HIGGINS
"Immanuel is a dynamic 1v1 attacker who will add excitement to our attack. He has been well coached at the NCAA DII level and is physically and tactically ready to prove himself as an attacking threat in the BIG EAST."

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