An overview of the talents in Dortmund's academy. Not including players that have played before for the first team (Reyna, Moukoko, Knauff). I also won't mention the two PSG signings (Coulibaly and Kamara), although they might play a few games within the academy before debuting for the first team
2001's: Luca Unbehaun (GK)
Unbehaun is our most advanced young GK. He's comparable to a ter-Stegen. Great with his feet, very good shot stopper, and leader in the net, but not one of the taller GK's. He was supposed to be the #3 for the first team this season, but there have been some slight rumors that he's not rated as a potential first team goalkeeper anymore. He may have to leave the club eventually, but he's extremely highly rated among young German GK's.
2002's: Kamal Bafounta (CM)
This guy came into our academy with a lot of hype, but he's dealt with some pretty terrible injury problems. He's barely played any football the last few seasons. He missed about two full seasons, and only was getting back up to full fitness midway through last season when there weren't any official U19 games to play, so he ended up going about two and a half seasons without games. He hasn't been given a first team contract and will start with the second team, which shows that the hype has slowed, but he was compared to Pogba and very highly rated when he joined our academy. Talent was not the issue. He's now fit, so maybe he can make an impact.
2003's: Lion Semic (RB), Goektan Guerpuez (CM), Dennis Luetke-Frie (CM), Bradley Fink (CF)
Semic is a very talented attacking RB, but he's also dealt with some injury problems. There are still high hopes that he'll make it through to the first team, but he probably needs another season in the academy before that to get bigger and stronger, and improve his defense. Guerpez is compared to Dahoud or Gundogan as a smooth central midfielder who connects the game, adds in on the offense, and can also play some defense. Luetke-Frie is the forgotten man in the academy. He's the captain of the U19's, ultra versatile on where he can play, he's a jack of all trades master of none type of player. He may not have the top-end potential to play for the first team, but he should still be a Bundesliga player. Fink is a physical CF with a long history of scoring goals, but he needs service and he's not much more than a box striker.
2004's: Nnamdi Collins (CB), Jamie Bynoe-Gittens (W), Faroukou Cisse (CB), Marian Kirsch (GK), Tom Rothe (LB), Noah Mrosek (RB), Vasco Walz (CM), Samuel Bamba (W)
Collins is probably the biggest name in our academy now that Moukoko is with the first team. Collins should be with the first team soon. He's a big CB with excellent speed and defensive ability. He's a leader at the back, and can break lines with his passing. Bynoe-Gittens is supposed to be the eventual Sancho replacement. He's dealt with a few too many injuries the last year, but when he plays he shows his incredible chance creation ability as a 1v1 isolation winger. Cisse is a little unheralded as a CB in the same age group as Collins. I don't know as much about him, but he's supposed to be pretty athletic. It's similar for Bamba in relation to Bynoe-Gittens. Bamba is more unheralded because there's an elite talent at his position in the same age group. There are some Dortmund fans that think Bamba may be even better than Bynoe-Gittens as an athletic winger who goes towards goal.
I don't know that much yet about Kirsch and Rothe, but they were two new big signings from within Germany. Mrosek is another player I don't have much info on yet, but he's supposed to be pretty good. Walz is a smaller CM who plays bigger than his size. He recently got a first team contract.
2005's: Julian Rijkhoff (CF), Julian Pauli (CB)
2006's: Raul Koenig (CF), Yannick Numbisie (RB)
I know a lot less about these younger age groups. Rijkhoff was the big signing from abroad. Signed from Ajax. He's supposed to be a great goalscorer with technique, size, and soccer IQ. He's the farthest along of the younger academy players. He's the only 2005 playing with the U19's this season. Julian Pauli is a player I don't know much about, but he was a big signing last season. Konig was the only 2006 that was playing with the U17's last season, and recently Numbisie has been talked about as a player to watch for.