NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Dec. 19, 2023) – Nashville Soccer Club has selected University of California, Berkeley centerback duo Wyatt Meyer and Kevin Carmichael, as well as midfielder Bryce Boneau from University of Notre Dame in the 2024 MLS SuperDraft, presented by adidas. Nashville SC also announced today the signing of Duke University forward Forster Ajago through the 2024 MLS season with option years through 2027.
“With the new rules for the draft making underclassmen available, it made sense for us to be very strategic and calculated about not only picking players that our scouting department rated really highly, but players that we thought fit the future of our club, whether they come in this year or in subsequent years,” said Nashville SC General Manager Mike Jacobs.
Nashville SC selected Meyer with the 11th overall pick in the First Round of the Draft. The 2023 Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year was named captain of the Golden Bears his senior season as he anchored the backline to a 1.06 goals-against average (GAA), the team’s best defensive performance since 2013 (0.97 GAA). Meyer earned All Pac-12 First Team and Second Team honors in his senior and junior seasons, respectively as the defender recorded four goals and six assists for Cal in 58 appearances, including 49 starts (4,137 minutes). His mother, Jennifer “JT” Thomas, anchored Cal’s backline from 1982-85 and later served as an Assistant Coach for the Golden Bears women’s team from 1998-2009.
Nashville SC selected Carmichael in the Second Round with the 50th overall pick. Meyer’s backline teammate has started in all but one match in his Cal-Berkeley career, leading the team in minutes played in Fall 2022 (1,458 minutes) and logging 3,006 minutes overall. Carmichael developed at Real So Cal Academy before joining the Golden Bears, where in his most recent season he recorded three of his four collegiate goals and one assist across 18 starts.
In the Third Round, Nashville SC selected Boneau, a 2020-21 Texas Gatorade National Boys Soccer Player of the Year, with the 75th overall pick. The Texas native came to the Fighting Irish after developing on FC Dallas U19 Elite Clubs National League Boys (ENCL) team, where he recorded three goals and seven assists in 13 matches. Boneau has been a stalwart in the midfield for the University of Notre Dame, not missing a match his sophomore and junior seasons and logging 2,651 minutes across 34 appearances (all as a starter). The midfielder has four goals and 10 assists as a member of the Fighting Irish. Between his sophomore and junior seasons, Boneau recorded one appearance with Texas United FC of the USL 2.
Additionally, Nashville SC signed Ajago from Duke University, who earlier this season was named a semifinalist of the Mac Herman Trophy and ACC Offensive Player of the Year.
Hailing from Navrongo, Ghana, the midfielder delivered an impressive goal-scoring performance in the 2023 season, netting 14 goals and contributing four assists, accumulating 32 points in total. Ajago’s tally of 14 goals ranks him seventh nationally and stands as the 12th highest in the history of Duke men’s soccer. He was a consistent starter in all 18 of Duke’s games, securing three game-winning goals, a team-high, and successfully converting his lone penalty attempt.
Throughout his college career, Ajago amassed 28 goals, nine assists, and seven game-winners, culminating in 65 points overall. In addition to his 2023 accolades, Ajago was further recognized with the USC First Team All-South Region honors, was twice named ACC Offensive Player of the Week, and ranked 28th in the midseason National Top 100 by TopDrawerSoccer.
Source: Nashville SC
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