In line with the announcement earlier this year from Scottish Rugby around the new Performance Player Pathway, the expansion of the Academy Group will now include players up to the age of U23 and has been expanded from the previous system of 15 'Stage Three' academy players.
The expanded set-up allows for the inclusion of later developing players and will further support the ongoing development of homegrown players, with a playing programme that will include an expanded calendar of fixtures for Glasgow Warriors A in the 2024/25 season.
Fixture details related to the Performance Player Pathway will be announced in due course.
There will also be an Academy & Pro Player Draft which will take place in August and will allow, where appropriate, for Academy players to play in the Arnold Clark Men's Premiership.
Included in the 26-man playing group are eight players who helped Scotland U20 earn promotion back to the World Rugby U20 Championship earlier this month, including standout back-rower Jonny Morris and tight-head Callum Norrie.
Kerr Yule and Ryan Burke similarly return for a second successive season in the club's academy after helping their country to silverware this summer, as do fellow U20 starlets and 2023 Commonwealth Youth Games gold medallists Johnny Ventisei, Fergus Watson and Matthew Urwin.
GHA product Amena Caqusau - a prolific try-scorer in the final season of the FOSROC Super Series - will look to build upon a promising first season at Scotstoun, as will fellow winger Kerr Johnston, who was invited to train with the senior Scotland setup prior to last autumn's Rugby World Cup.
Eight further players are set to be involved in the U20 academy cohort for the first time, including prop Jake Shearer, who came off the bench in Scotland's victory over the USA in the final of the World Rugby U20 Trophy.
Former Scotland U18 captain Joe Roberts and fellow front-rower Ollie McKenna - comfortable at both loose-head prop and hooker - join Shearer in the intake, as do a brace of back-rowers in the form of Archie McMichael and Rory Purvis.
Dan Halkon will combine his academy duties with a Business Studies degree at the University of Strathclyde, with Dumfries Saints centre Alex Bryden completing the first-year intake amongst the U20 group.
Joining Morris and Norrie in the newly-expanded U23 contingent are an additional nine players, including Duncan Munn, who made his senior professional debut off the bench in Glasgow's 17-13 victory over Cardiff at Scotstoun back in March to become Warrior #360.
Having impressed for Glasgow Warriors A and Ayrshire Bulls in the FOSROC Super Series Sprint upon his return from injury last season, Richie Simpson is similarly included in the U23 cohort, alongside loose-head prop Tom Banatvala and centre Ben Salmon.
A pair of Stirling Wolves alumni will link up with the Glasgow Warriors senior academy for the first time, having each trained with Glasgow Warriors during the closing stages of last season; former Scotland U20 and Ealing Trailfinders second-row Jare Oguntibeju and ex-Bristol Bears academy back-row Macenzzie Duncan each bring a dynamic athletic presence to the Glasgow Warriors pack.
Former Southern Knights winger Aidan Cross is also added to the Glasgow academy after impressing during training with the Warriors last season, whilst the cohort is rounded out by Scottish-qualified scrum-half Brent Jackson, who moves to Scotstoun from the Hollywoodbets Sharks U21 setup in South Africa.
The full academy cohort will link up with Franco Smith's playing group at Scotstoun ahead of the 2024/25 campaign, with Glasgow Warriors opening their title defence in the BKT United Rugby Championship with an away trip to Ulster on Saturday 21 September.
Glasgow Warriors 2024/25 Senior Academy (club/school of origin in brackets)
Front-row
Tom Banatvala (Watsonians)
Ollie McKenna (GHA/St Aloysius)
Callum Norrie (Howe of Fife RFC/Strathallan)
Joe Roberts (Robert Gordon's College)
Jake Shearer (Cumnock RFC)
Callum Smyth (Selkirk RFC/Bedford School)
Second-row
Ryan Burke (Glasgow Hawks)
Dan Halkon (Droitwich RFC/RGS Worcester)
Jare Oguntibeju (St Augustine's High School)
Back-row
Macenzzie Duncan (Clevedon RFC/SGS College)
Archie McMichael (Strathallan)
Jonny Morris (GHA/Strathallan)
Rory Purvis (Stirling County)
Scrum-half
Brent Jackson (King Edward VII School/Golden Lions)
Fly-halves
Richie Simpson (Ayr RFC)
Matthew Urwin (West Of Scotland RFC/St Aloysius)
Centres
Alex Bryden (Dumfries Saints)
Duncan Munn (Loch Lomond RFC)
Ben Salmon (Hillfoots RFC/Dollar Academy)
Johnny Ventisei (GHA/St Aloysius)
Kerr Yule (Glasgow Hawks)
Back three
Amena Caqusau (GHA/Queen Victoria School)
Aidan Cross (Melrose RFC)
Kerr Johnston (Gala)
Harry Provan (Birkmyre)
Fergus Watson (Biggar RFC)