Sarasota Paradise Announces First Signing: Garrett McLaughlin
The striker is third all time in regular season goals in USL League One
Sarasota Paradise announced the club’s first signing today, 28 year old league veteran Garrett McLaughlin.
The striker spent 2025 and part of 2024 with Forward Madison after a mid-season transfer from USL Championship side North Carolina FC. McLaughlin scored a bulk of his 34 goals with NCFC while that club was in USL League One in 2022 and 2023. He also played for Toronto FC II in 2021, scoring eight in that campaign, after starting his career with USL Championship side RGV FC Toros in 2020.
McLaughlin’s time at Madison did not live up to expectations, missing six matches in the early part of 2025 due to injury. He was rotated in and out of the starting eleven, and scored three goals as his team struggled and would ultimately miss the playoffs.
Still, McLaughlin remains third all time in USL League One regular season goals scored with 34, and at the age of 28, has the potential to re-emerge as one of the league’s prominent scoring threats. He adds experience and leadership to a new squad that will begin play in 2026, bringing a league title that he earned with NCFC in 2023.
Sarasota Head Coach Mika Elovaara said in the team’s press release that McGlaughlin was one of the first players he wanted to target from the free agent pool.
“He is a modern striker,” said Elovaara, “a proven goal-scorer on every level he has played at.”
Elovaara also highlighted McLaughlin’s professionalism, chance creation, work rate in transition, and said his “values are aligned with the culture we are building.”
McLaughlin is the first signing announced from the class of 2026 expansion clubs. The league continues to finalize the 2026 schedule, where it is expected we will see anywhere from five to seven new sides join the league.
We’re tracking this and all USL League One transactions on the 2026 Transactions Tracker.