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Toronto FC Selects Lipscomb Midfielder Tyrese Spicer No. 1 Overall in MLS SuperDraft 2024 Presented by Adidas

Published on December 19, 2023 under Major League Soccer (MLS) News Release


NEW YORK - With the first overall selection in MLS SuperDraft 2024 presented by adidas, Toronto FC selected Lipscomb University midfielder Tyrese Spicer. Spicer was previously announced as a pre-signed senior ahead of MLS SuperDraft 2024 presented by adidas.

A native of Trinidad and Tobago, Spicer was a standout at Lipscomb, scoring 29 times and adding 18 assists in his 57-game collegiate career. In 2023, Spicer was named a United Soccer Coaches First-Team All-American after he led the ASUN Conference with 14 goals in 16 appearances, including a remarkable 10-game scoring streak. The attacker also earned MAC Hermann Trophy semifinalist honors for his performances this season.

Spicer is Toronto FC's second No. 1 overall SuperDraft pick in club history, joining former U.S. Men's National Team and MLS Great Maurice Edu in 2007. Edu appeared in 38 games for Toronto from 2007-08, scoring five goals and adding two assists. Spicer is the first player from Lipscomb University to be selected No. 1 overall in the MLS SuperDraft and Lipscomb is the 13th different university to have a player taken with the No. 1 pick in SuperDraft history.

The Colorado Rapids selected Wayne Frederick from Duke University with the second overall selection and Maryland's Kimani Stewart-Baynes, a Generation adidas signee, No. 4 overall using a pick they acquired from the LA Galaxy in August 2023. Inter Miami CF traded the No. 3 overall pick to FC Dallas in a draft-day trade, which Dallas used to select Oregon State forward Logan Farrington. Austin FC rounded out the top-five picks by selecting Nate Jones of the University of Washington, whose rights were later traded to the Rapids in a draft-day deal.

Colorado, who became the first team with two top-five selections entering the MLS SuperDraft since D.C. United in 2021, finished the day with the rights to three of the top-five players selected in the draft - Frederick (No. 2), Stewart-Baynes (No. 4), and Jones (No. 5).

MLS SuperDraft 2024 presented by adidas featured an expanded eligible player pool, as players who are currently collegiate sophomores, juniors, seniors, and above were eligible for selection. Previously, only players who were collegiate seniors and above, along with Generation adidas signings, were eligible for selection. The 2024 SuperDraft featured 41 players selected who were collegiate freshman, sophomores, or juniors.

Five colleges featured multiple players taken in the first round, led by three from West Virginia - Marcus Caldeira (No. 20, Minnesota United FC), Yutaro Tsukada (No. 25, Orlando City SC), and Jackson Lee (No. 28, LAFC). Lipscomb, which was the only university to feature two top-10 picks in Spicer (No. 1) and Malachi Jones (No. 8, NYCFC), Georgetown, Virginia, and Washington also had multiple players selected in the first round.

Overall, players from 48 colleges and universities were represented in the 87 selections overall, led by six from Georgetown University. Forty-one players selected in the SuperDraft previously played with current MLS NEXT affiliated clubs.

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Major League Soccer Stories from December 19, 2023


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