The U.S. men’s national team’s centerback corps features plenty of experienced players at both club and international level, but 19-year-old Noahkai Banks might be the one for fans to keep an eye on going forward.

Banks is continuing his second season with Bundesliga side Augsburg after jumping into the first-team picture last year. After making eight appearances for Augsburg during the 2024-25 campaign, Banks has increased his production this campaign, logging 17 appearance and close to 1,300 minutes to date.

Although Banks will have one eye on being part of the USMNT’s World Cup roster this summer, he admitted his main focus is on the second half of Augsburg’s season.

“It’s not the right moment to think about the World Cup for me, because we have a lot of games left here [at Augsburg],” Banks said in a conference call Tuesday. “We want to win those games because we have goals for the season. So I really just focus – because a lot of players say it, but I really mean it – I really just focus on the games we have here. Then let’s see what happens in the summer.”

“It has been a great year so far, because I didn’t expect to play that much, to be absolutely honest,” Banks added. “The coaches have given me a lot of trust, a lot of minutes. From time to time, I got more confident with the team, with my teammates, with the players, with the tactics.”

Banks is still seeking his senior USMNT debut after earning his first call-up last September. The versatile defender has watched Tim Ream and Chris Richards continue to lead the USMNT’s centerback group, while Mark McKenzie, Auston Trusty, and Miles Robinson also circle the pack for opportunities.

However, a continued run in the Augsburg starting lineup could be what propels Banks back into Mauricio Pochettino’s squad this March for the USMNT’s penultimate pair of friendlies before World Cup play begins. Banks revealed that several USMNT players made him feel right at home within the squad, in addition to Pochettino who had ample centerback experience during his playing career.

“I was pretty nervous when I got into camp, because I was 18 years old at the moment, so I thought maybe the older guys will think, ‘Who’s that? What is he doing here?’” Banks said about his September call-up. “But it was great, to be honest. It was incredible. Players like Pulisic, [Tim] Weah helped me a lot.

“Because he [Pochettino] has been a center back back in the days, he knows the position very well, and he has helped me with small details like positioning and stuff like this – just the small things which make the difference at the highest level,” Banks added. “He gave me some tips, and I hope I can do what he told me in the future.”

Born in Hawaii to an American father and a German mother, Banks has mainly featured for the United States during his international career. He previously played for the USMNT U-17’s at the 2023 FIFA Under-17 World Cup, as well as the U-19’s and U-20’s too.

Although Banks has not featured for Germany, he does remain eligible for them if the opportunity presents itself in the future, but it’s something that the young defender said he hasn’t thought about.

“I’ve been in touch with Germany before, to be honest,” Banks said about his international eligibility. “You can’t tell what happens in the future, but at the moment, there’s not a thought of switching because I’m happy with the U.S.”

Banks will have six more league opportunities with Augsburg before the USMNT next takes the field against Belgium and Portugal in Atlanta this March. Augsburg are three points clear of the Bundesliga relegation zone after 21 matches played and know they aren’t anywhere close to sealing league safety for another season.

While the excitement of potentially featuring against two of Europe’s heavyweights could be in Banks’ future, he knows performing well at club level will ultimately help get him there.

“A lot of people always think that as players, we think about what’s happening there and there,” Banks said about international duty as a whole. “But for me, it’s really important to just focus on the games, because I know if I play well, the rest will come by itself. So it’s really about focusing on the next game for me and playing as good as possible, because the rest will follow.”