Jamar Ricketts, a redshirt junior from Cal State Northridge who went 13th overall to San Jose, has officially signed.
UCLA, R-Jr. Tucker Lepley has signed with the Galaxy. He becomes the 10th Soph, Jr. or R-Jr. who was drafted to have signed a deal with an MLS team. Two more have signed MLSNextPro deals with the club that drafted them. I think this proves our longstanding theory that if MLS allowed underclassmen into the draft sans a GA deal, a whole lot more players would turn pro.
Not really. Their League rules have always had major stipulations regarding the roster. With the inclusion of their scamming MLSNP rosters, it’ll only increase the signing of these kids to minimal contracts and they’ll move on after 1-2 years. Even the history of their homegrown signings aren’t positive. It’s a method of wage suppression. Depending on how long MLS will keep MLSNP around, we could see it continue or kids choosing to stay in college.
Clemson soph. Shawn Smart has singed with USL Championship sign Las Vegas Lights. He's the second Clemson underclassmen to sign with a USL side, joining freshmen Pape Mar Boye, who signed with Phoenix. Not quite a trend yet, but an interesting development nonetheless.
Updating this now that MLSNextPro has started and several drafted underclassmen have signed. San Jose State Jr. Beaux Leroux (San Jose, 42 overall), Hofstra Jr. Eliot Goldthorp (Vancouver, 45), Saint Mary's Jr. Riley Lynch (San Jose, 71) and St. John's R-Jr. Nicolas Fleuriau Chateau (Vancouver, 74) have all signed with the MLSNP team that drafted them. Seven drafted underclassmen have announced they are returning this fall as have 5 drafted seniors who are taking a Covid year. That leaves 16 drafted underclassmen who haven't signed but haven't had their plans formally announced. 33. Chicago - Olu Oyegunle, D, Syracuse - Jr. 41. Charlotte - Jacob Babalai, F, Portland - R-Jr. 47. Salt Lake - Josh Jones, D, Louisville - Jr. 50. Nashville - Kevin Carmichael, D, California - Jr. 53. Philadelphia - Stas Korzeniowski, F, Penn - Jr. --- 63. Philadelphia - Zach Bohane, M, Stanford - Soph. 68. Montreal - Eli Conway, F, Connecticut - Soph. 69. Portland - Gage Guerra, F, Louisville - Jr. 70. Charlotte - Nathan Richmond, M, Clemson - Soph. 72. Chicago - Shane de Flores, M, Stanford - R-Soph. 75. Nashville - Bryce Boneau - M, Notre Dame - R-Soph. 76. Salt Lake - Maximus Jennings, FB, Georgetown - Jr. 77. Atlanta - Casper Mols, GK, Kentucky - Soph. 84. Salt Lake - Ruben Mesalles - D, Duke - Jr. 86. Montreal - Carson Hodgson, M, Western Michigan - Soph. 87. Columbus - Luke Pruter, GK, UC Irvine - R-Jr. At this point I would expect most, if not all of these guys to be playing another season of college soccer. But, a lot can happen in the next 4 months and there are more pro opportunities than ever for these guys.
We missed this when it was announced over the winter, but UNC Jr. D Matt Edwards has signed with Atlanta United 2.
Luciano Sanchez, who was a freshman at Rutgers last fall, signed with a first division club in Serbia this winter/spring.
Michael Barrueta, a Jr. at Dalton State, where he was an NAIA All American, has signed with Chattanooga FC of MLS Next Pro.
Tommy Musto, who spent the past two seasons on the roster at Univ. Portland but did not play, has signed with LAFC 2. Some of these moves are just baffling. Like, dude, you can't get PT at a good-but-not-great college program. Maybe going pro isn't the best right move. Conversely, maybe he is good enough and Portland is just so stocked that he couldn't get run. Or maybe their coach doesn't see talent. But something is odd.
I agree, but Musto got fairly regular starts for LAFC2 last summer and then returned to LAFC to train with the senior squad in preseason, was on the bench for the senior squad for its first two MLS games before the MLSNP season began and then has started all 9 MLSNP games in a row this season, playing at least 75 minutes in every start, and was called up to be on the bench in LAFC's most recent US Open Cup game and its regular season MLS game against Atlanta (after recording three assists in LAFC2's 3-2 win against SLC earlier this month). So, it's not like he isn't getting positive experience and signals from the club. Plus, Musto isn't signing an LAFC2 deal. He signed a full MLS contract, although only through 2024 with club options through 2027. I can understand a kid getting their shot at an MLS team and taking it. There are plenty of kids who have left college to go pro (especially in Europe) under sketchier circumstances and with less data/experience with the club.