Chris Applewhite made his MLS debut during Nashville SC's 3-0 loss to the Seattle Sounders on Saturday, becoming the second homegrown player to take the field for Nashville SC.
At 17 years, seven months and 27 days old, Applewhite is also the youngest player to represent Nashville SC at the MLS level, surpassing fellow homegrown Isaiah Jones, who was 18 years, three months and five days old during his debut last summer.
Ben Wright
Signed to a homegrown contract this offseason, Applewhite has been highly regarded throughout his time in Nashville's academy. After joining as a 15-year-old in 2022, the Waldorf, Maryland native played above his age level with the U17s, eventually breaking out with Huntsville City FC at the MLS NEXT Pro level. Last season, as a 16-year-old, Applewhite played in 20 matches for Huntsville, the most of any center back for the club.
On Saturday, Applewhite came off the bench for the final 10 minutes of Nashville's frustrating loss in Seattle. His appearance was a rare bright spot in the evening. The 6'2" center back held his own, completing 85% of his passes, recovering possession and not allowing any Seattle attacker to dribble past him.
"It was a great feeling," Applewhite told media after the match. "Obviously not the result we wanted, but it was obviously a great feeling for me to come into the game, to get my debut. It's something I feel like I worked really hard for, and I'm super grateful to the coaches for giving me the opportunity."
Positive debut from Applewhite
— Nashville SC Stats (@NSC_Stats) April 20, 2025
Morris is a handful but he did well
I love Applewhite’s passing range and he showed it today. Always looking to find a midfielder instead of playing it safe
I can’t wait to see more
""I think it was a really good challenge going into the game. I knew my matchup was going to be Jordan Morris and like you said, he's a very prolific score and strong, fast attacker," Applewhite reflected. "I think I held my own. You know, I'm coming into my first game. I think there's a few learning opportunities, but for the most part, I think I did pretty good."
BJ Callaghan was similarly complementary of the young defender.
"It's something that Chris has earned. It wasn't given to him," Callaghan said. "It's something that today, even though the result didn't go away, the entire club can be proud of; a player that came through the academy, came through the second team and now made his first team debut."
"For me, what he was able to do is a difficult situation. He was certainly challenged," Callaghan continued. "He took the information onto the field. I think he showed that he was composed on the ball, and I thought for his first time playing he made a good first impression."
For Applewhite, the next goal is continued involvement with the first team. He's made the match-day squad for four of Nashville's nine matches so far this season, while also starting two matches for Huntsville City.
"I think it's just continuing to prove myself, trying to get as much involvement in the first team as possible and contribute to the team success as much as I can," he said. "[I want to] do as much for this team as I can so that we can make it as far as possible."
