LA Galaxy announced they have loaned midfielder Tucker Lepley to Oakland Roots on Thursday.
This marks Roots’ first time bringing in a player on loan since 2022, when Ottar Magnus Karlsson and Mikael Johnsen joined from Venezia. He is currently under contract with LA Galaxy until December 2026.
It’s an intriguing move, given Lepley suits up as a central defensive midfielder and stands at 5 feet, 4 inches tall, per his LA Galaxy profile. Roots had a glaring need at the center back spot with David Garcia out with a lengthy injury, so that could spell toward Tommy McCabe making a move to the back line.
So, what are Roots getting in Lepley?
He comes to Oakland as a skilled passer and could help Roots transition the ball from defense to attack, averaging 2.86 long passes per 90 minutes in 2026 with Ventura County, which ranks in the top 22 percent of MLS Next Pro.
In his 552 minutes with LA Galaxy last season, Lepley completed 66.7 percent of his long balls, finishing in the top 20 percent of players at his position. He also generated 1.47 chances created per game, ranking in the top 24 percent.
The most action he saw was in 2024, when he played 1,641 minutes for Ventura County. He generated high numbers, including 2.96 long balls per match with a completion rate of 69.2 percent, created 1.86 chances per game, and won 56.8 percent of his duels.
Lepley, 24, joined Sporting Kansas City’s academy in 2018 and appeared 10 times for Swope Park Rangers in the USL Championship in 2019. He enrolled at UCLA the following year, remained there for four years, and earned third-team All-American honors in 2023.
He was a third-round pick by the LA Galaxy in the MLS SuperDraft in 2024. Since then, he’s bounced on and off the first team, spending time with the development side, Ventura County FC, on MLS Next Pro.
Lepley appeared in 16 matches for Galaxy in 2025, along with six starts for 552 minutes, logging one assist. In 2026, Lepley has 252 minutes in three starts with Ventura County, recording one assist.