The 2019 LCS season is drawing ever closer, and we'll be seeing quite a number of new faces in the league this season. Some of those players come from the Academy league, a system which we hope will create the league's future stars. Our Academy squad performed well last season, and we've already seen one of our Academy players graduate to the LCS. This year, TL Academy will aim to improve on last year's playoff berths with a combination of young talent and LCS experience.We're excited to announce our squad for 2019:Before being drafted into the Academy league in Spring 2018, Thomas "Jenkins" Tran was best known as a high ELO Kennen main. Despite an unsuccessful Spring split for his team, Jenkins was s standout performer on his squad, as evidenced by his high Kill Share and Gold Share ratings. Jenkins returned to solo queue during the Summer in order to work on his game, but a positive showing at 2018 Scouting Grounds convinced us that Jenkins has what it takes to carve out a place in the Academy league.It’s been a mere 18 months since Mike “MikeYeung” Yeung first set foot on the LCS stage. In that time he’s managed to take the NA LCS by storm, win rookie of the split, compete internationally, nab a starting position on one of the oldest teams in LoL esports, and has even coached the next generation at Scouting Grounds. He now takes his talents to Team Liquid Academy. Raw talent and experience are two very important things Mike is bringing to the table this year and we’re excited to see him back in his element.David "Insanity" Challe is one of two returning members of the 2018 Team Liquid Academy roster. His debut split during the Summer season featured the second highest KDA and second highest GPM among eligible players (played more than half the season) in the league. His presence around the map provided a platform for his other laners to succeed, and we expect even better plays from Insanity this coming season.Quentin "Shoryu" Pereira is one of two returning members of the 2018 Team Liquid Academy roster. In his first ever professional split Shoryu helped Team Liquid Academy to first place in the regular season. As a stable and consistent carry player, Shoryu can excel no matter the game plan and the amount of resources dedicated to him. It's the kind of selfless play that leads to wins without eye-catching stats, but he's due for a big jump in performance in his sophomore season.Matthew "Matt" Elento’s career began on Team Liquid Academy all the way back in 2016. He was a starter for both TL Academy and the main roster during his tenure, and he returns in order to mentor a brand new group of TL players. Matt has grown tremendously since his debut, and his veteran presence will be an important asset in the development of his teammates. A return to where it all started should give Matt the encouragement to make it back to LCS sooner rather than later.