SANTA BARBARA, Calif. — UC Santa Barbara Men's Soccer Head Coach Tim Vom Steeg has secured the first signing of his 2026 recruiting class, announcing the arrival of Ty Branigan on Friday. Branigan, an alumnus of Sacramento Republic FC's youth academy, will join the Gauchos' midfield corps next season.
 
A native of Roseville, Branigan comes to UC Santa Barbara via Woodcreek High School, where he starred in the most recent Capital Valley Conference season. Despite playing as a defensive midfielder, Branigan scored 18 goals, assisted 10 more and won league MVP honors for the Timberwolves en route to a conference championship, CIF San Joaquin Section Finals appearance and CIF NorCal Regional Championship appearance.
 
Branigan had a similarly successful season with his club team, helping Sacramento Republic's U19 team to a 16-3-3 record in Major League Soccer's MLS Next academy league. They won the MLS Next Northwest Division and advanced to the Round of 32 at the MLS Next Cup.
 
Branigan joins a Santa Barbara side that relies on its defensive midfielders to both provide extra cover at the back and be a creative force moving forward. The Gauchos are set to watch Ramses Martinez graduate from that group at the end of this season.