Louisville City FC defender Brandon Dayes is one of three finalists for the USL Championship Young Player of the Year award, the league announced Friday.
Brooklyn FC’s C.J. Olney Jr. and the Charleston Battery’s Colton Swan join Dayes as finalists. The award will be announced on Thursday, Nov. 19.
The 17-year-old Dayes delivered a standout first campaign after signing professional terms with the club last offseason. Dayes recorded 18 appearances and logged 1,398 minutes on LouCity’s back line, winning 91 duels at a 58.7% success rate and notching 63 recoveries, 20 interceptions and 81 clearances. The 17-year-old also helped the United States qualify for the 2027 FIFA U-20 World Cup.
The 2026 USL Championship Awards were voted on by club management and a league-wide media panel that included representation from every USL market following the conclusion of the 2026 USL Championship regular season.
Dayes and LouCity, the No. 4 seed in the East, will visit the No. 2 seed, Charleston, in the Eastern Conference Final on Saturday at 6 p.m.
