Timeline
- SchoolGraduates from Escola Profissional de Aveiro, in Salreu, Portugal.
- 2023Freshman at Indian Hills Community College: 3 matches, 1 start. Scores his first college goal against Lewis & Clark. The team reaches the NJCAA Division I tournament.
- 2024Moves to Northwest Mississippi Community College: starts all 18 matches, 5 goals, 1 assist. ICCAC All-Academic First Team and NJCAA Academic Team of the Year.
- 2025Joins Quincy University (NCAA D2) as a redshirt sophomore. GLVC Academic All-Conference.
- Summer 2026Plays for Cleveland SC in the NPSL and scores against Rochester NY FC Academy.
- Fall 2026Redshirt senior at Quincy: 14 games, 454 minutes and 1 assist so far.
- Oct 2026Joins GSX to plan a transfer for an additional year in 2027.
Where he started
Rodrigo is from Salreu, a parish in the district of Aveiro, on Portugal's Atlantic coast. He studied at Escola Profissional de Aveiro and chose the American route: play, study and build a record in the US college system.
Two junior colleges
He started at Indian Hills Community College in Iowa in 2023, a strong program that reached the NJCAA Division I tournament. Minutes were scarce, 3 matches and 1 start, but he scored his first college goal, against Lewis & Clark. A detail: that same season, Lewis & Clark's defense included Lucca Barbero, who is now his teammate at Quincy and also works with GSX.
In 2024 he moved to Northwest Mississippi Community College, and that changed everything: 18 starts in 18 matches, 5 goals and 1 assist, plus ICCAC All-Academic First Team and NJCAA Academic Team of the Year honors.
The hard part
In 2025 he joined Quincy University, NCAA Division II, as a redshirt sophomore and did not see match action. He kept his academic level (GLVC Academic All-Conference) and, in the summer of 2026, went to play for Cleveland SC in the NPSL, where he scored against Rochester NY FC Academy. In his redshirt senior season at Quincy he has played 14 games off the bench, with 454 minutes and an assist.
Where GSX fits
Rodrigo joined GSX in October 2026 to plan his next step: a transfer for an additional year in 2027. Pablo González, from the GSX founding team and a former NCAA Division I player, leads his case, which is in process.
When a path has had several stops, the key is to tell it well: what each season added, and why the next program is the one where he will play. That is GSX's work, together with checking what the rules allow for the extra year before anyone signs.
And Quincy is home ground for GSX: founder Carlos Moreno, from Spain, played NCAA Division II at Quincy University himself, so the team knows the program, the GLVC and this exact path from the inside.
What his path teaches
- A path does not need to be straight to be strong. Each stop added minutes, goals or a better academic record.
- A change of program can change a season. From 3 matches to 18 starts in one move.
- Grades are part of the case. Academic honors at every stop make every next coach's decision easier.
- An extra year deserves a plan. The best destination is the one where you will play.
Frequently asked questions
Where does Rodrigo Bandeira play college soccer?
At Quincy University in Quincy, Illinois, NCAA Division II (GLVC), as a redshirt senior defender wearing number 21. Before Quincy he played at Indian Hills and Northwest Mississippi community colleges.
What is next for Rodrigo Bandeira?
He joined GSX in October 2026 to plan a transfer for an additional year in 2027. The process is underway.
Who is working with Rodrigo Bandeira?
GSX (gsxmanagement.com), a college soccer recruiting advisory service built by former college players, one of whom, Carlos Moreno, played at Quincy University. Pablo González, from the founding team, leads his case.
More GSX stories
Stats as of Oct 14, 2026.