Justin Ellis takes Orlando City B lessons to the First Team | OneFootball

As Orlando City B prepares to take the pitch for 2026, they are loaded with homegrown talent. Good thing, as the First Team snatched one promising forward.

A talented homegrown forward on the Orlando City B roster, debuting in 2024, has signed with the First Team shortly before the team takes the pitch for the 2026 season. Striker Justin Ellis has moved to the Orlando City S roster through the 2027 season.

The First Team has options on Ellis through 2029. This makes him the latest Academy product to advance fully through the Orlando City developmental pathway.

The Ellis blip on the first team radar started getting larger in 2025 as he and several teammates got called for international duty. Those Academy teammates included defender Jackson Platts and midfielder Dylan Judelson.

Ellis made four appearances with the U.S. U19 Men’s Team, recording one assist.

That same year, Ellis made his debut on the First Team against Charlotte FC during his short-term contract period. Along with that single appearance, he stayed busy with 25 starts in 41 matches for Orlando City B. He tallied eight goals and five assists.

His Lions won the Gold Boot and the Generation adidas Cup Title in 2025. Ellis was named MLS NEXT MVP.

It’s enough for him to be on Orlando City’s charts as he progressed through the organization's development pathway. But he’s on every competitive organization’s radar.

Ellis has registered a note in the Premier League’s network. His biography pops up frequently through the years, beginning with his Orlando City B entrance.

He’s youthful. But Lions supporters recognize his signing as another step in Orlando City’s campaign to reach their lofty goals in 2026. They have their eyes on championships in competitions that have gotten tougher in recent years.

Orlando City B has lofty goals, as well, that they will now strive toward without forward Justin Ellis. But it is the B team that got him into First Team shape. Let that development continue.