Transition to the First Team squad

There are lots of posts about the readiness or not and long term prospects for various Academy players, debate and disagreement about whether the progression strategy is real and likely to happen this summer, and also about buying players who may block our young players stepping up.

So, I thought maybe it could be discussed in one place?

Based on players who have been either over age for next season, been in the first team, or got senior loans, the following appear to be in play:

Over age for Season 2023/24

Jake O’Brien - full season on loan, played most games, replacement for Tomkins?
Kofi Balmer - only played for U21s but been on the senior bench
Malachi Boateng - had a successful loan but probably short of quality we need
Scott Banks - as for Boateng
Reece Hannam - seems to have dropped away
Rob Street - good loan but probably not our level going forward

Still under age for season 2023/24

Whitworth & Goodman - been on bench but likely to be loaned
Tayo Adaramola - played for first team, cover for Mitchell or too early?
Killian Phillips - played for first team, successful loan, maybe Championship as we are ok for back up CM
Jack Wells-Morrison - played for first team but mainly U21, not yet 20, loan out
David Ozoh, - played for first team, but loan likely
Jesrun Rak-Sakyi - played for first team, brilliant loan, no current cover for Olise, squad?
Malcolm Ebiowei - played for first team, ok loan, maybe competing with JRS for Olise cover
JK Gordon - been on bench, ok loan, probably L1 loan next
Luke Plange - been on bench, ok loans, probably still a season or two away, only 20

Based on all that, I can see JRS or Ebiowei, maybe O’Brien, maybe Phillips, maybe Adaramola acting as cover players next season, for all the reasons of holding transfer spend for the first team, not blocking progress etc.