Riverhounds ‘thrilled’ to bring midfielder Jackson Walti back with new deal

The Riverhounds continue to take steps in retaining its midfield core, announcing through team release and social media that the club has agreed to terms with another member of its Championship-winning squad, re-signing midfielder Jackson Walti for next season with a club option for 2027. The deal is pending USL and U.S. Soccer approval.

“Jackson is an important part of our group and represents everything we want in a Pittsburgh player. We’re thrilled to have him back for next season,” Dan Visser, Riverhounds Sporting Director said.

The St. Augustine, Fla., native played his first professional season in MLS Next Pro with Austin and Colorado before signing with the Hounds prior to 2024. Walti worked his way into a regular starting role by the end of his first year, and although a late-summer injury limited him toward the end of 2025, he returned to the lineup and played a crucial role as a shut-down presence off the bench over the final month and in every match of the team’s victorious playoff run.

In two years with the Hounds, Walti has made 64 appearances in all competitions, starting 48 of those. The holding midfielder has three goals and an assist for the Hounds, and he earned USL Championship Team of the Week honors in the penultimate week of the 2025 season.

Walti’s re-signing brings the Hounds roster to 10 players retained from last season’s title team thus far, with talks ongoing with new players and returners from the side that lifted the trophy last month in Tulsa.

Walti is the second out-of-contract player to re-sign with the Hounds this offseason, bringing the current number of players announced to ten.  On Friday they announced the re-signing of midfielder Bradley Sample.

The club picked up its team option to retain four players, center backs Guillaume Vacter and Beto Ydrach, outside back Perrin Barnes and midfielder Jorge Garcia. They will return in 2026 alongside four players already under contract: outside back Junior Etou, center back Illal Osumanu, midfielder Charles Ahl and forward Brigham Larsen.

The club declined its 2026 options on six players — Chase Boone, Jason Bouregy, Max Broughton, Bertin Jacquesson, Ben Martino and Augi Williams.

In addition, goalkeeper Eric Dick announced he will not be returning to Pittsburgh (inked a new deal with hometown Indy Eleven), Sean Suber also announced he won’t be back (team TBA), then on Tuesday, Phoenix Rising SC announced the signing of Luke Biasi.

Initial Thoughts on Re-signing of Jackson Walti

Bob Lilley told me before the season started that in the next five to seven years, players like Jackson Walti may become even more of a rare breed.

A classic, deep-holding midfielder and a ball winner with exceptional vision who is an accurate and reliable passer, Walti grew into his role with the Riverhounds in his second full season with the club, after one year at Austin’s MLS Next Pro squad.

Through August, before an injury sidelined Walti, the former Pitt captain worked very well in the central midfield primarily alongside Danny Griffin, but also at times Bradley Sample and others.

Even coming off the bench in the later parts of the season and into the postseason, Walti proved to be an important contributor.  In the Hounds 3-0 win on the road at Monterey Bay, Walti contributed a goal and an assist and finished each of the postseason matches as one of the final 11.

While Danny Griffin and Robbie Mertz, the two cornerstone players and key players who have been instrumental in helping carry on the team’s winning culture, now the re-signing of Walti and Bradley Sample points the way toward significant continuity in the critical midfield grouping.  The team may fluctuate and have more turnover at other positions, but the team will more than likely have the bulk of its midfield back, with Charles Ahl already under contact and as long as Griffin and/or Mertz are officially back in the fold.

Key Numbers: 

Led the team in interceptions per 90 minutes (1.4 — next closest players were Danny Griffin and Guillaume Vacter with 1.1 per 90); 51 appearances, 41 starts with three goals and one assist in two seasons in Pittsburgh; 6.65 FOTMOB rating; 2,025 minutes played in 2025; landed in the top percentile at his position in some key holding midfield stats including interceptions, tackles and recoveries — all important ingredients to being a key contributor to one of the league’s best defensive and organized units that strives to keep the field titled in its favor for majority of its matches.

 

Riverhounds Off Season Roster Tracker

Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC 2026 roster (as of 12/1/2025)

1. Junior Etou — MF — (re-signed for 2025-26, contract option for 2027)
2. Illal Osumanu — D –(re-signed for 2025-26, contract option for 2027)
3. Charles Ahl –MF — (signed for 2025-26, contract option for 2027)
4. Brigham Larsen — F — (signed for 2025-26, contract option for 2027)
5. Jorge Garcia — MF — (signed for 2026, contract option for 2027)
6. Guillaume Vacter — D — (signed for 2026, contract option for 2027)
7. Beto Ydrach — D — (signed for 2026, contract option for 2027)
8. Perrin Barnes — D — (signed for 2026, contract option for 2027)
9. Bradley Sample — MF (signed for 2026-27, contract option for 2028)
10. Jackson Walti — MF (signed for 2026, contract option for 2027)

Remaining players from Riverhounds 2025 roster who are out of contract

1. Danny Griffin — MF / Captain — one of the club’s cornerstones of the past five years. Griffin, a New England native, has been equal parts leader, ironman and a player who helped carry torch passed along from Kenardo Forbes in terms of executing principles of Lilleyball and provided exceptional leadership during could have been calamitous situation with Lilley being put on administrative leave.
2. Robbie Mertz — MF — even before this season and the recent remarkable postseason run which Mertz scored what may be difficult to find a bigger goal in the history of the club, the Upper Saint Clair native’s place in club history has already well-established. The question is, how much longer will the 28-year-old want to keep playing? He certainly performed at a very high level in 2025, at the top of the league in chances created
3. Aidan O’Toole — MF — came into the season expecting to have a bigger role, then succumbed to knee injury.  May have to work his way back into a USL roster next season.
4. Jacob Randolph — GK — two seasons as the primary back-up behind Dick and under the tutelage of Jon Busch certainly provided the young keeper with an excellent opportunity as an understudy.

Academy Contract 

1. Pablo Linzoain — M, F — (USL Academy Contract) — After starting with the first-team in 2024 under Academy Contract, the former Fox Chapel High School product transitioned to playing in College where he played 11 matches (four starts) at Davidson University.  It will be interesting to see if any current or prospective Academy players will be added to next year’s roster.

Players out of contract who announced they won’t return to Pittsburgh

1. Eric Dick — GK — Signed with Indy Eleven
2. Sean Suber — D — announced on December 6, he won’t return to club
3. Luke Biasi – D / W — Signed with Phoenix Rising FC