Monday's Homegrown signings continued with NYCFC adding Kamran Acito

After announcing the signing of Cooper Flax, New York City FC decided they were not done with Monday's announcements. The team also announced the addition of defender Kamran Acito. He is the 19th Homegrown signing for the club, joining Cooper Flax as one of the rookies for the upcoming season.

Interestingly, NYCFC also signed two Homegrown players in one day during the previous offseason: Jacob Arroyave and Prince Amponsah. Although Amponsah was only with the Pigeons for a year since he had his contract denied at the end of the season. Still, perhaps the Boys in Blue will want to continue to sign Homegrown players every year. Like Flax, the signing of Acito shows the team is serious about committing to the youth.

NYCFC also signs Kamran Acito

At the same time, the newest player also has a contract through 2026 with options for the next three seasons. NYCFC is willing to give the talented player a chance while also protecting the club in case things do not work out. But similar to Flax, there is hope that his experience with the academy, in which he joined in 2018, and his time at Duke University prepared him for minutes with the first team.

The center-back is from Manhattan and attended the Trinity School. Acito was fortunate to spend some time with the first team, especially when he played with NYCFC II. He eventually made his way to Duke University and made 73 appearances in his four years with the Blue Devils. He scored once and had five assists. His freshman year was truly spectacular, for he was named the ACC Freshman of the Year.

One thing that is notable about Acito and Flax is that both were captains at the academy level and then in college. Acito had the honor of captaining Duke for two seasons, which is not always common in the college game. The leadership quality might be an aspect NYCFC is looking for when they sign their Homegrown players.

Meanwhile, one cannot help but wonder whether Acito's addition is a sign of things to come. In other words, the reports of the breakdown of talks between NYCFC and Justin Haak might be true. The Pigeons could be preparing for life without Haak, meaning that the center-back partnership in 2026 could be Thiago Martins and Raul Gustavo. Acito would act as depth, unless he shocks everyone and wins a starting spot.

This will be interesting to watch. Nevertheless, ideally, Acito will be an impactful player for NYCFC, and he and Flax will become great Homegrown signings.