On December 9, 2016 the Rochester Rhinos announced ten players returning for the 2017 USL season. Those returning players are: Midfielders Kenardo Forbes, Brandon Beresford, Michael Garzi, Ryan James, and Sofiane Tergou, defenders Wal Fall, Joe Farrell, Bradley Kamden, and goalkeepers Tomas Gomez and Dan Lynd.
After announcing stadium naming rights and a jersey manufacturer in January, the Rhinos set about filling the roster during the month February.
As of Wednesday, February 15, the team has publicly announced five signings: Stefan Defregger, Antonio Correia, Darius Madison, Rayane Boukemia, and Jordan Dover.
Defregger played two seasons in USL with the Wilmington Hammerheads, where he made 36 league appearances.