COLUMBUS – The Columbus Crew have signed defenders Quinton Elliot and Owen Presthus, and forward Chase Adams as Homegrown players. Adams is guaranteed through the 2029 season with a Club option for 2030. Elliot signs for the 2026 season with Club options for 2027, 2028 and 2029, while Presthus’ agreement is through the 2027 season with an option for 2028.
“Signing Chase, Quinton and Owen as Homegrown players is a proud moment for our Club and is a testament to the importance of the player pathway,” said Crew General Manager Issa Tall. “Each of these young men has shown tremendous commitment, character and development within our Academy, and they embody the values and identity we want to see in a Crew player. We are excited to continue supporting their growth and look forward to seeing them take the next steps in their professional journeys with our First Team.”
Adams, who joined the Crew Academy in January 2023 at the Under-15 level, registered his first double-digit scoring season in MLS NEXT Pro in 2025, when he led Crew 2 with 10 goals in 1,582 minutes while adding two assists. Signing with Crew 2 on Aug. 2, 2024, Adams was named Crew Academy Player of the Year after posting a team-best nine goals in 19 matches for Crew 2. The 17-year-old forward was recognized as an MLS NEXT All-Star alongside teammate Tristan Brown and captained the East to a 4-2 win at Historic Crew Stadium on July 23, 2024.
In October, the Naperville, Ill., native was selected to represent the United States at the 2025 FIFA Under-17 World Cup in Qatar, where he made two appearances (one start) in the competition. During the Concacaf U-17 World Cup Qualifiers, Adams was named to the Best XI and earned best-player honors. He finished the competition as the top scorer after tallying 10 goals against the U.S. Virgin Islands on Feb. 11, 2025. Adams scored again four days later against Cuba to bring his total to 11 goals in just two matches. Across the U-17, U-16 and U-15 levels, Adams has made 18 appearances, scoring 19 goals.
Elliot signed with Crew 2 on Feb. 7, 2025, after being a member of the Academy from 2017-2022. He appeared in seven matches (all starts) for Crew 2 in 2022, helping the squad win the first MLS NEXT Pro Cup. During the 2025 MLS NEXT Pro season, the Charleston, WV., native started 22 of his 25 appearances, registering three goals and one assist.
The defender spent two seasons at the University of Louisville before transferring to Indiana University. With Louisville, Elliot made 39 appearances (38 starts) and recorded two goals and eight assists. With the Hoosiers, Elliot started in all 21 of his appearances, tallying three goals and three assists. He was named First Team All-Big 10 in 2024 and helped Indiana advance to the third round of the NCAA Tournament with a 2-1 overtime win against Akron on Nov. 24, 2024.
Presthus started 17 matches, tallying one goal and two assists with Crew 2 in 2025. In August, the New Albany, Ohio, native was loaned to Hartford Athletic, where he went on to make five appearances (three starts), scored in his debut on Aug. 23 vs. Rhode Island FC and earned Defender of the Game and USL Championship Player of the Week honors.
Presthus boasted a team-high seven assists and added two goals in his 28 appearances (23 starts) with Crew 2 in 2024 and also saw action with the Crew’s First Team in the Leagues Cup Showcase match against Premier League side Aston Villa on July 27, 2024. Presthus competed with Crew 2 on an amateur agreement and played in six matches in 2023. Presthus joined the Crew Academy in 2017, after developing in his early years with Crew Network Club, Sporting Columbus. During the 2023 Generation adidas Cup, Presthus scored a game-winner against Manchester United to advance the Crew to the Round of 16, with his olimpico being voted Goal of the Tournament. The Crew Academy Under-17 squad went on to reach the semifinals that year.
At the international level, Presthus has made three appearances across the Under-20 and U-19 levels, providing one assist. He was also invited to USYNT camps in 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2025.
Presthus continues his family’s legacy in Columbus, following in the footsteps of his father Tom, who made 47 regular season appearances for the Black and Gold from 2001-2003. A goalkeeper, Tom helped the Crew win the 2002 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, the first trophy in Club history. All three of Tom’s sons have been members of the Crew Academy; TJ was with the Academy from 2015-2021 before going on to play Yale University and now Hartford Athletic, while Rhys is currently on the Crew’s U-18 Academy team.
Adams, Elliot and Presthus join Tristan Brown, Taha Habroune, Stanislav Lapkes, Cole Mrowka and Sean Zawadzki as the eight Crew Academy players on the current roster. Additionally, the three players become the eighth, ninth, and 10th players to earn First Team contracts after being signed to Crew 2.
TRANSACTION: Columbus Crew sign defenders Quinton Elliot and Owen Presthus, and forward Chase Adams as Homegrown players, announced on Jan. 7, 2026. Elliot signs for the 2026 season with Club options for 2027, 2028 and 2029, while Presthus signs through the 2027 season with an option for 2028. Adams signs through the 2029 season with a Club option for 2030.
