Last year, the New York Red Bulls staged a combine featuring college players that unearthed some useful talent. Big Apple Soccer identified 25 players who tried out for the club at the end of 2015, and three of them - Vincent Bezecourt, Tim Schmoll, and Florian Valot - landed with NYRB II, putting in significant contributions to the team's run to the USL's regular season and Championship titles.

Indeed, all three of those players are still attached to the II team and seem likely to continue their professional development as Red Bulls for at least another season.

A full list of the 2016 RBNY combine trialists has yet to materialize, but there have been a few colleges eager to share news of their players efforts to start a career in pro soccer.

As already noted by BAS, Columbia had two midfielders invited to the combine: Andrew Tinari and Rhys Williams.

Montclair State kindly advised the Red Bulls' tryout was held on December 16-17, while announcing that prolific goalscorer Lucas Terci had been asked to attend. NYRB II will be based at Montclair State in 2017, and perhaps the USL squad might benefit from a player on the roster who is both known to local soccer fans and familiar with the team's new home field.

NJIT's midfielder Rickardo Oldham will be familiar to current II-teamer Junior Flemmings: both featured in the Jamaica U-23 set-up during the last Olympic men's soccer qualifying cycle.

The Trentonian's Kyle Franko reports the Red Bulls have gone back to the Rider men's soccer program that gave them Florian Valot to have a look at midfielder Christian Flath.

Finally, Iona defender Jordan Scarlett was also reportedly at the RBNY combine.

Six players isn't much of a combine. Doubtless more attended the Red Bulls' December tryout and their names will perhaps emerge in due course.

None of the six identified here featured on the list of players invited to the 2017 MLS Combine that is the prelude to the SuperDraft, but that list may change and players who do not attend the league's combine are not infrequently drafted.

If the Red Bulls follow the habits of their last off-season, however, those players invited to the club's combine are not potential SuperDraft selections. More likely, a handful (who aren't drafted or signed by other teams) get invites to preseason with RBNY - or NYRB II, or both - but are more probable candidates for USL contracts with the second team than MLS roster spots.