Three Colorado Rapids Youth Products Called up to United States U-16 Boys' National Team
MLS Colorado Rapids

Three Colorado Rapids Youth Products Called up to United States U-16 Boys' National Team

Published on February 9, 2026 under Major League Soccer (MLS)
Colorado Rapids News Release


COMMERCE CITY, Colo. - The Colorado Rapids announced today that Colorado Rapids 2 midfielder Nathan Tchoumba alongside Rapids Academy's Alex Hernandez and Jax Padgett were called up to the United States U-16 Boys' National Team for their upcoming domestic training camp under Head Coach Paul Simpson. Colorado's three selections to the camp mark the second-most of any of the 13 clubs represented.

The trio will join the group on February 11 in Atlanta, Georgia, and will stay through the remainder of the camp on February 18.

Tchoumba and Hernandez have been called up multiple times to represent the U.S., most recently in the summer of 2025 for the Concacaf Under-15 Championship. Prior to that, the pair had received numerous call ups for various training camps and friendlies at the youth international level. This marks the first for all three players to the U.S. U-16 side under Simpson.

Tchoumba, 15, is receiving his first call up since signing a Homegrown Player contract with Colorado Rapids 2 on January 16, 2026, making him the youngest signing in the team's history. This past fall with Rapids Academy, he split his time between the U-18 and U-16 age groups in his role as a defensive midfielder. In 2025, he was named to the Generation Adidas Cup Rising XI, an accolade given to the top up-and-coming players in the annual tournament.

Hernandez, 16, joined the Colorado Rapids Futures Program in 2022 from local youth side ALBION SC Denver. Over the past two seasons, he has spent time across multiple age groups within Rapids Academy. The midfielder has played a major role for Colorado across multiple major tournaments, including MLS NEXT Cup, Generation Adidas Cup, and MLS NEXT Flex. At the international level, Hernandez has made nine appearances for the U.S., logging one goal and three assists in over 400 minutes played.

Padgett, 15, joined Rapids Academy in 2024 at the U-15 level from Oakland, California. During his time with the Academy, he has featured across multiple age groups, going as high as the U-18 level. Padgett has featured mainly for the U-16 side, where he has played the most minutes of any player this current season while logging 13 goals and 8 assists.

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