The New York Red Bulls have enjoyed recent success with the emergence of some homegrown players, and the Haitian teenager could be the next in line.

Standing outside the New York Red Bulls locker room at halftime of a recent match, Derrick Etienne could have easily been mistaken for a young fan who snuck into the bowels of Red Bull Arena in search of an autograph. At least he might have been before Red Bulls players starting to emerge from the locker room made a point to shake the youngster's hand.

You see, Etienne is no ordinary teenager. A Haitian Under-20 national team standout, Etienne is a highly rated prospect who is emerging from the Red Bulls academy as a player who just might become the Red Bulls' next homegrown player signing.

That is heady talk for a prospect who started the year as just one of many standout players in the Red Bulls youth system, but Etienne has seen his stock climb astronomically in recent months with the help of a head-turning stint with the Red Bulls' USL club, Red Bulls II. A recent rules change by the NCAA helped pave the way for players like Etienne to play for USL teams without losing their college eligibility, and to say Etienne made the most of it is an understatement.

Etienne played in 14 matches with Red Bulls II, amassing team highs in goals (three) and assists (three). His head-turning stint with the team as a dangerous attacking midfielder earned him a chance to start training with the Red Bulls first team, an experience that has increased up his growth as a player even more rapidly.

"It's very good experience," Etienne told Goal USA of training with the Red Bulls. "You know the guys are competitive, very good players so I have to bring my 'A' game every single time. Luckily I've been able to go out there and impress and do my thing and just show what I can do."

Among the players Etienne impressed was Red Bulls captain Dax McCarty, who has been one of the club veterans who has made a point to really push the young prospect on the training field.

"He's an extremely talented player. He's an attacking guy who has ideas, you know, and he's tricky," McCarty told Goal USA. "He's a very tricky player and he's got a lot of athletic presence about him. He's a very athletic kid and he's got an eagerness to go forward and make plays.

"He's trained with us a few times and he's done well. He's a bit inconsistent and that's why I yell at him," he added. "With young kids, it's always making sure that they don't tune out. They make a good play one minute, they make a bad play the next and they think its the end of the world. It's just staying on top of them and making sure they stay focused and positive. You can tell that he's a really talented player and he's got a bright future, hopefully with this club."

Less than a week after that scene at Red Bull Arena, Etienne made his way to the University of Virginia, where he is set to begin his college career with the defending national champion Cavaliers. That is, if the Red Bulls don't come calling with a contract that makes passing up college worth his while.

"If the opportunity was presented I'd have to sit down with my family and see what was the best option for us to do at this very moment," Etienne said. "But if an offer was made it would definitely be looked at."

Sources tell Goal USA that the Red Bulls are looking hard at Etienne as a future homegrown player signing, which would be the latest move in the team's increased emphasis on developing talent, a push that has paid dividends recently with the emergence of U.S. Under-20 defender Matt Miazga and rookie midfielder Sean Davis.

Etienne wasn't on the first team's radar as recently as he spring, but that changed when he emerged as a real force with the club's USL team. An opportunity that helped Etienne log nearly a thousand minutes playing against professionals, and not just play but flourish.

"I've always since a little kid been around soccer, my dad was a pro, so I always wanted to be a professional soccer player," Etienne said. "Being with the USL has basically put be close to that level, so I'm very happy with that."

That opportunity is the kind of new path afforded young prospects in the current MLS player development system that didn't exist years before. McCarty is an example of a player who turned pro at a young age and struggled to find valuable playing time early on. What McCarty sees now is a better chance for players like Etienne to develop.

"I came out of school early and I still didn't play very much my first year and that was really frustrating, and so for (Etienne), he's just got to talk to his family and make the best decision for himself," McCarty said. "Obviously, I think Jesse is a great mentor for young players. I think he's proven his track record with this team is pretty strong right now bringing in young players and bringing them through, so I certainly think if Derrick wanted to sign and turn pro this would be a great environment for him to learn.

"It's just got to be a mutual thing with both parties wanting to do it, and so you're never sure how that's going to work out. But it doesn't matter, whatever he decides, he's got a bright future ahead of him."