Utah Native Griffin Dillon Signs with Real Salt Lake First Team

HERRIMAN, Utah (Jan. 9, 2026) — Real Salt Lake Assistant Sporting Director Tony Beltran announced the signing of three RSL Academy products — midfielder **Griffin Dillon**, forward **Diego Rocio** and midfielder **Antonio Riquelme** — to Major League Soccer contracts for the 2026 campaign.[1] The Utah native Dillon, alongside Rocio and the Chilean youth international Riquelme, each honed their skills last season with Real Monarchs in MLS NEXT Pro, the pathway club based in Herriman.[1] This trio elevates RSL's homegrown total to 48, surpassing all 30 MLS clubs in academy-to-first-team promotions.[1] The club, headquartered at America First Field in Sandy, has long prioritized local talent development through its Herriman academy, producing stars who bolster the midfield and attack ahead of the season.[1][6] RSL's pipeline remains unmatched, with recent additions like 2025 signees Owen Anderson, Aiden Hezarkhani, Omar Marquez and Juan Gio Villa pushing the count to 45 before this group.[3] Dillon's promotion resonates deeply in Utah soccer circles, exemplifying the academy's mission to cultivate homegrown athletes in the Beehive State.[1][5] Past successes include Herriman native Jeff Dewsnup, the youngest-ever RSL homegrown at 16, and Canadian youth international Van Parker, signed through 2030-31.[4][5] As RSL eyes contention in the Western Conference, these signings reinforce Herriman's role as Utah's soccer epicenter.[2][7]