Sorenson, Huff, Tcheuyap: Who are CFC's new signings?
A little more on the careers of the club's first three off-season signings
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. --- Chattanooga Football Club yesterday announced the signing of Argentina forward Alexis Arrúa from Racing Club. He joins Ashton Gordon and Damien Barker John as the latest recruits as CFC have been busy this off-season. We’ll have more on them in the coming days but first wanted to go a little deeper on the club’s first three signings of the post-season, as in late 2025 they brought in Antony Sorenson, Griffin Huff, and Yves Tcheuyap. Below we take a look at all three, where they’ll likely fit in at CFC, and what they’ll bring. My thanks to those below who contributed to this article, sharing their knowledge of the players.
Antony Sorenson
The first of CFC’s new recruits, 22-year-old Sorenson was brought in as early as November 17. The 5’7’ left-back is originally from Haiti but was raised in Michigan where he began his youth career with Columbus Crew’s academy side the Michigan Wolves.
At youth international level, he was involved with USYNT age groups from U14 to U16 levels. Notably, he was part of the US U-16 squad that finished third in the Torneo Delle Naizoni in 2018, a tournament that also featured the likes of Benjamin Šeško, Jude Bellingham, Joško Gvardiol, Nuno Mendes, and Fábio Silva.
In 2019 he joined the Philadelphia Union Academy system’s U17 squad and spent the 2020 season playing for Union II in the USL Championship. That year he made 12 appearances scoring one goal and getting one assist. He scored his first professional goal for Union II in a 4-0 victory over Loudoun United. The goal was the result of a charging solo run down the left-flank, taking a well-timed pass just outside the box, two touches and a nice finish. Sorenson appeared on the bench for Union’s 2021 MLS Cup Playoffs Eastern Conference Final loss to New York City FC and went on to make 45 more appearances for Union II across 2022 and 2023 after they joined MLS Next Pro.
In March 2024 he joined Charlotte Independence of USL League One. That season, Sorenson started 15 of his 20 appearances with a total of 1,375 minutes played. Becoming known for his quick speed and skill up and down the left wing, he recorded three assists with 44 clearances, 26 tackles won, 24 interceptions and two blocks.
In 2025, he scored his second career goal, on opening day at home against the Richmond Kickers. Much as against Loudoun, the goal came via a counterattack but with Sorenson making a one-touch finish after a darting run into the box that flat-sided Richmond’s defense. He made a further 30 appearances last year, grabbing an assist and playing 2,068 minutes. He won 20 tackles, made 44 clearances, six blocks and 21 interceptions.
In determining where Sorenson will fit in at CFC the natural answer is at left-back. Milo Garvanian, the club’s stalwart in that position since 2024 is, I believe, yet to sign a new contract with Chattanooga. Should he stay, then Sorenson can be seen as competition for the position, something Garvanian hasn’t really had to contend with since joining the club. Should he leave, then Sorenson can be seen as a direct replacement. This leads to a natural comparison of the two. The (league only) comparison below is, I know, crude but does appear to show two very similar players, with Sorenson possibly stronger in defense but Garvanian more prolific going forward. Time will tell how Head Coach Chris Nugent plans to use his new man.
The final word I’ll leave to those who know Sorenson best.
Mike Jeffries, Charlotte Independence General Manager/Head Coach who signed Sorenson in 2024 and was his coach during his entire stint in Charlotte told me: “Anton is a pacey, attacking left back - creative 1 v. 1 and in the final third; he brings energy, a competitive mindset, and an upbeat personality to the group. Pacey is likely an understatement - fans will enjoy watching him fly by players and recover dramatically”.
Mike Umberger, Secretary of the The Mecklenburg Reserves (a Charlotte Independence supporters group) shared: “We really enjoyed getting to watch Sorenson play these past 2 seasons. Y’all are getting a great 2-way player in him. He’s got the pace and agility to lock down a crafty winger on defense, the technical ability to penetrate the opposition’s defense on the dribble, and the stamina to go the full 90 week in and week out. At Charlotte we saw him play a lot of left back and a little left mid. I wager he would be best used as a left wingback. Really any defensive role that affords him latitude to get forward and doesn’t require him do a lot of aerial defending. If you like a solid defender that is also a potent attacker, you’re gonna love Sorenson.”
Griffin Huff
Signed on November 24, Griffin Huff is a 22-year-old goalkeeper out of upstate New York. At 6’5’ he will be the tallest of CFC’s keepers and is currently the tallest player in the squad. At youth level he was affiliated with Soaring Capital SC, Rochester NY FC, and Greater Binghampton FC in his native state.
Huff was a four-year starter at Lafayette College, where he was named to the 2024 All-Atlantic Region Second Team and the All-Patriot League Third Team in 2023 and 2024. From 2021 to 2024 he made 34 appearances for the Leopards, giving up 39 goals. What stands out from his college stats though, is the marked level of improvement he clearly showed. While conceding 16 goals in six games in 2021-22, he went on to only concede 23 in 28 games in 2023-24. He made 88 saves in the four years, got 11 shutouts, and ended his college career with a 12-11-11 record.
During his time with Lafayette, he lined out for USL League Two’s Charlotte Eagles in 2023-24. More recently, he was attached to Lexington SC of USL League One who offered him a place in their organization in late 2024. He played for Lexington’s Pre-Professional sides in UPSL and USL League Two. A highlight reel from his time in Kentucky demonstrates some quality shotstopping prowess.
In terms of his fit at Chattanooga FC, this is a replacement for the departed JP Philpot who spent last season with the club as one of its two back-up keepers, alongside Michael Barrueta. Neither Philpot nor Barrueta made a competitive appearance in 2025, and Huff will no doubt be hoping to get a run out at some point in 2026. This highlight reel from his college days shows a physically imposing goalkeeper with a decent punch, unafraid to come out of his box nor use his head (physically as well as mentally). In some senses, he resembles a certain Eldin Jakupović
Again, we’ll let someone who knows Huff better than I tell us more about him. Steve Cooke, Lexington SC Youth Technical Director told me that “Griffin was an excellent member of our club in 2025. Not only is he a very good goalkeeper, but he is a person of outstanding character. He played a major role while training with the first team and was pivotal in our USL Academy success. He gained the utmost respect of everyone at Lexington Sporting Club, and we wish him nothing but the best as he begins his professional career.”
Yves Tcheuyap
On December 1, the arrival of Canadian full-back Yves Tcheuyap was announced by CFC. Hailing from the Toronto suburbs, Tcheuyap was signed to a one-year contract with a club option for a further year.
The 22-year-old was most recently with Crown Legacy FC, the Next Pro outlet for MLS’s Charlotte FC. Last season, his first as a pro, he played 1,310 minutes in 20 league appearances for Crown Legacy, providing two assists.
Prior to Crown Legacy, and after representing local side Woodbridge Strikers in Canada, he played three years of collegiate soccer at East Tennessee State University before transferring to NC State University. In his last year with ETSU (2023) he made 17 appearances (1,513 minutes) notching a goal and an assist. He then made 20 appearances in 2024 with NC State and tallied four assists in his last season of college soccer. While in college, he also lined out for West Virginia United (2022) and NC Fusion / Salem City FC (2023-24) in USL League Two.
Tcheuyap is a right-back and played in that position for Crown Legacy last year. It will be interesting to see how Nugent uses him in 2026 as that position is currently occupied by the club’s best player in 2025, Tate Robertson. A comparison of the two based on their 2025 stats naturally shows Roertson as the superior player. This shouldn’t come as a surprise; Robinson is older and more experienced and just had the season of his career with a playoff team. Tcheuyap does have some statistical tricks up his sleeve though; he enjoyed a better pass accuracy (88% to 77%), got caught offside less, and received less cards. He drew 15 fouls, which is less than Robertson, but still good, and roughly equaled Robertson in passing/distribution and defensive duties. Where he really lags behind is in offense. At the very least this is a fine understudy, but perhaps Nugent has different, more attacking ideas in-mind for Robertson in 2026?
We’ll have to wait and see, but in the meantime, as always, we’ll leave it to an expert to tell us more. Chris Williams, Salem City Head Coach told me that “Yves is not only a top footballer, but a great person. His demeanor is calm, and focused but when he plays, he plays with a steel. Such a likeable character that the entire dressing room will love! As a footballer, his ability to defend one vs one is top level. Combine this with his capacity to go both ways is what makes him so impressive. Chattanooga, Chris, Liam and Adam have a fantastic player, but an even better human!!”
My thanks to Chris, Steve, and the two Mikes for their contributions. Which of these three players are you most excited to see at Finley Stadium? Please share your thoughts below.