The 2012 MLS Draft is less than a month away and Major League Soccer has secured the services of the two highest-rated prospects coming out of college this year.
Sources have told Fox Soccer that Duke standout Andrew Wenger and Akron star Darren Mattocks have signed Generation adidas contracts, with MLS expected to announce the first of its Generation adidas signings on Tuesday.
The news comes after weeks of speculation that Mattocks would accept one of a trio of offers he was considering from Europe.
The signings leave the Montreal Impact with the option of selecting either player with the No. 1 overall pick. Montreal is believed to prefer Mattocks, but the Impact could also deal the pick.
Wenger and Mattocks joined UCSB forward Sam Garza as the first players to accepted Generation adidas offers.
Sources have also told Fox Soccer that standout college seniors Luis Silva, Casey Townsend and Tony Cascio have all signed contracts with MLS, while Nick DeLeon could be signed as early as Tuesday.
Here is a rundown of the Generation adidas prospects, including who has signed, and who else has been offered contracts:
GENERATION ADIDAS RANKINGS
- Andrew Wenger………SIGNED
- Darren Mattocks………SIGNED
- Kelyn Rowe…………..Offered
- Billy Schuler………….Offered
- Enzo Martinez………..Offered
- Chandler Hoffman……Offered
- Sam Garza……………SIGNED
- Dom Dwyer…………..Not Offered
- Dillon Powers………..Not Offered
- Tyler Polak…………..Not Offered
- Andrew Jean-Baptiste..Not Offered
- Brian "Cobi" Span…….Not Offered (set to sign w/Swedish 1st Division club)
- David Opoku………….Not Offered
The new name on the Generation adidas rankings is Tyler Polak. His name has been bounced around for some time, and I recently reported that he was planning to leave school. Now it appears Polak is back on the Generation adidas radar, and has at least one MLS team ready to make him a first-round pick if he signs.
Of the players who have been offered, but not signed, Hoffman is the safest bet to sign. As things stand now, if the top seven players all sign, MLS could wind up sticking with just a seven-player Generation adidas class. It should be noted, however, that every year there is at least one last-minute addition to the class.
What do you think of these developments? Which prospects are you hoping your team can draft?
Share your thoughts below.