No. 8 Michigan State men’s soccer senior midfielder Miles Merritt was named to the 2026 Missouri Athletic Club Hermann Trophy Midseason Watch List Friday, becoming the first Spartan to earn a spot on the list since Jonathan Stout was named in the preseason watchlist in 2024.
The Hermann Trophy is awarded annually to the most outstanding male and female players in NCAA Division I soccer. The 15 semifinalists for the 2026 award will be announced Dec. 4, followed by three finalists selected by head coaches. The winner will be announced Jan. 8, 2027, at the Missouri Athletic Club in St. Louis.
Merritt has been an integral part of a dynamic midfield that has helped MSU to a 7-1-1 start this season. The senior has recorded two goals and two assists for six points through nine games and was named one of MSU’s three captains before the season alongside senior forward Richie Ludwig and senior defender Will Eby.
A native of Albuquerque, New Mexico, Merritt is in his second season at MSU after transferring from the University of the Incarnate Word. He made an immediate impact in 2025, finishing the season tied with Ludwig for the team lead in goals with four and tied with sophomore midfielder Peter Soudan for the team lead in points with 10.
Merritt has started every game for the Spartans this season and has started all 51 games of his collegiate career. He was not included on the preseason Hermann Trophy watchlist but earned a spot on the midseason list as MSU climbed to No. 8 in the national rankings.
Merritt is one of six Big Ten players named to the midseason list, joining Washington’s Harry Bertos and Zach Ramsey, UCLA’s Shakir Nixon, Ohio State’s Isaiah Chisolm and Indiana’s Oliver Moller-Jensen.
The Spartans will travel to UCLA for a 9 p.m. kickoff on Saturday.
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