Clemson University forward Robbie Robinson and University of Virginia defender Henry Kessler headline the four-player Generation adidas class signed to be part of the 2020 MLS Draft.
Robinson, Kessler, Syracuse University midfielder Ryan Raposo and Indiana University defender Jack Maher were announced on Monday as the four members of the 2020 Generation adidas class, and all four are projected to be high first-round picks in the 2020 MLS Draft, set for January 9.
MLS attempted to sign five players to its Generation adidas class, but sources tell SBI that University of Virginia striker Darryl Dike turned down the GA offer made to him by MLS. Dike would be a candidate to be the first player chosen in the draft if he signed.
It remains to be seen if MLS will add any more Generation adidas signings between now and draft day, but the league has regularly included additional signings after unveiling the initial group.
Expansion side Inter Miami holds the first pick in the MLS Draft, and at the moment Clemson’s Robinson is the consensus top player on the board. Miami, which hired head coach Diego Alonso on Monday, also holds the third pick in the draft, with fellow expansion side Nashville SC selecting second overall.
MLS also announced the signing of Georgetown defender Dylan Nealis and Stanford defender Tanner Beason to senior contracts. Both players are expected to be selected in the first 10 picks in the draft, with Nealis a top three option.
MLS has done away with its traditional format of staging the draft as a big event showcasing draft picks at a public ceremony as in year’s past, and will instead turn the draft into a broadcast event, with teams making selections via conference call, and selections being unveiled on a program being shown across multiple social media channels and the ESPN app.