It finally has happened! Orlando City signed Justin Ellis to a 1.5-year Homegrown deal with club options for the 2027-2028 and 2028-2029 seasons.
Raised in Purple 😈
We have signed @OCSCAcademy and @OrlandoCityB product Justin Ellis to a First Team contract as a Homegrown Player through the 2027 MLS season 👏
— Orlando City SC (@OrlandoCitySC) February 20, 2026
Ricardo Moreira had some thoughts about signing Justin Ellis:
“This is a proud moment for everyone at Orlando City as Justin becomes the latest player to rise through every step of our development pathway,” said Orlando City SC General Manager & Sporting Director Ricardo Moreira. “Justin has excelled at every level—the Academy, OCB and in his First Team opportunities—and he’s done it through dedication and a drive to keep improving. We’re thrilled with the player he’s becoming and excited for what he’ll accomplish as he takes this next step in his career.”
For fans of Orlando City who have been around for a few seasons, it will be known that Orlando has done everything they can to build up their academy. When we came into MLS, there was little to no focus on academy players and it showed. But when Luis Muzzi came in, he turned that idea on its head, forcing the club to invest in youth talent across Orlando. Now that we’re a few years removed from when that happened, the club has started to pump out talent who have been able to affect the first team. Our latest–and probably biggest hit–was Alex Freeman, who the club just sold for $4 million plus add-ons and a sell-on clause.
So now that we’ve sold Alex Freeman and sold Alejandro Granados a few years earlier, Orlando has put more effort into signing a plethora of players to Homegrown deals in an effort to not only get cheap talent, but also have the ability to sell these players on. The next rising stars out of that group are: Gustavo Caraballo (who was signed to a deal last year) and Justin Ellis (who has eluded the club).
So who is Justin Ellis?
If you have been following the Orlando City academy at all, this name should not be new to you. Justin has been tearing up the academy system for years now and it all culminated in his stellar performance at the 2025 Generation Adidas Cup where he won the Golden Boot. For the U-19 team he scored 18 goals for that team and led them to the semifinals of the MLS NEXT Cup. After all that, he was offered an OCB contract through 2026, where he played a respectable season while also playing more as a “10” than a striker. He also got calls to join the USYNT at the U18 and U19 level where his impact was felt as well. The kid has always impressed at every level for Orlando City, ever since they poached him from the Inter Miami Academy. Below are some highlights of Justin Ellis:
What’s been the issue?
The issue has been that Justin Ellis hasn’t wanted to sign a first team contract with the team, even though it was reported that we offered one on multiple occasions. It stumped many fans because they figured it was a great opportunity for the Wellington, Florida native to break in and then get sold to live out his bigger dreams. However, reports said that he decided, in consultation with his agent, that he wanted to try to make the jump himself, without playing for the first team, allowing him to have more choice of where he could go. So that was the story all of last season and even a bit before that. He did have a decent season last year, racking up 7 goals and 6 assists in 1,800 minutes with OCB, and he did make an appearance for the first team via a short-term call up but he didn’t have the banner year he was hoping for, so that may have convinced him to speak with the club about a Homegrown deal.
What does this mean for Orlando City?
However, things happen for a reason and through all of that, Orlando City and Justin Ellis were able to come to terms on a deal, with Justin Ellis, becoming the newest Homegrown for Orlando City. Nobody (including myself) holds any of his past thoughts against him. He was having a heck of an academy career and was on the radar for a lot of teams across the world. Those Generation Adidas tournaments include clubs from all around the world, so if you can impress there, you will get noticed. But I think this is a good compromise for both the player and the club.
There is clearly a hole where Justin can plug in and provide impact for Orlando City. With Duncan McGuire being the only out-and-out striker on the roster, that gives Ellis an opportunity to either spell him or compete with him for the starting spot. He could also be the de facto backup for Martín Ojeda when he needs his rest days. The kid can play in either spot and play there well. It won’t be a situation where he can just walk in. Harvey Sarajian, Orlando City’s first pick in the draft this past year, was signed to a first team contract and pretty quickly after he was drafted. The club believes in Sarajian as well, but competition makes everyone better and even if one of them can’t break through right away, OCB is always there to give them playing time.
All I can say is I’m sure many of us are relieved that Justin Ellis decided to sign a Homegrown deal. It’s been a long time coming and he clearly was the most talented kid left in the academy who hadn’t signed one yet. I hope he’s able to hit the field soon and make an impact for the first team because there is a slew of talent behind him who will compete.
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