Two players with Oklahoma ties were drafted on the first day of the Major League Soccer SuperDraft in Philadelphia, Akeil Barrett and Boyd Okwuonu.
Barrett, a native of Kingston, Jamaica, was selected by Orlando City Soccer Club, an expansion team for 2015 that for the last two seasons played in third division USL Pro, with the fourth pick of the second round of the draft and 25th overall. The speedy left winger spent his freshman year at Akron before transferring to the University of Tulsa to play out the rest of his collegiate career. He parlayed an outstanding performance at the MLS Combine earlier this week.
Okwuonu, a native of Edmond, was drafted by Real Salt Lake, a perennial contender for the silverware in MLS, with the sixth pick of the second round and 27th overall. A University of North Carolina standout, Okwuonu was also a Homegrown Player for FC Dallas. Both parties decided not to pursue that option and Okwuonu went into the SuperDraft instead.
There are still four players left on the board with Oklahoma ties. Connor McLaws, a defender who played for Coastal Carolina, is a native of Edmond and played his prep soccer at Deer Creek High School. Johnny Chavez (Oral Roberts), Byron Knowles-Ramirez (Tulsa) and Tony Rocha (Tulsa) also remain available for selection in the third and fourth round which will occur on Friday, Jan. 16 via teleconference among the league’s general managers, technical directors and head coaches.