Former U.S. Youth National Team midfielder Christian Albelo signed with head coach Louis Bennett and Marquette Tuesday, becoming the highest ranked recruit in program history. He will have a full four years of eligibility.

Albelo was a midfielder on the 2013 U.S. Under-15 National Team and also made in into the pools for the Under-16 and Under-17 teams. He most recently played on an academy contract with Swope Park Rangers, Sporting Kansas City’s USL affiliate. However, he did not make an appearance after signing with the program August 18.

The 17th-best recruit in 2016 according to TopDrawerSoccer.com has also played for several German academy teams while his parents were stationed there, including FSV Frankfurt, Kaiserslautern Jugend and Hoffenheim Jugend, per Transfermarkt.

“His experience is going to help him considerably with not only the speed of collegiate soccer, but the way that we like to play,” Bennett said in a statement. “The amount of traveling he did in Germany, flying back-and-forth as also a member of the U.S. youth national team, he’ll be well-equipped to acclimate swiftly to the college game and the growing change that comes with it.”

Albelo, 18, will arrive at Marquette already familiar with fellow midfielder Luka Prpa, who suited up for the same U.S. Under-15 National Team. The two competed together in the Copa de Mexico de Naciones, a six-team tournament featuring several North and South American teams including Mexico, Brazil, Argentina and Columbia.

This signing means that Marquette soccer will have nine new players on next year’s roster, six of which are true freshmen. Many of them will likely have to take the field quickly – five players transferred from Marquette soccer after last season and two more chose to forfeit their remaining eligibility.