Clemson, S.C. – The MLS announced earlier today that three former Clemson student-athletes are eligible for the 2020 MLS SuperDraft set for Thursday, Jan. 9 at 12:30 p.m. Tanner Dieterich, Malick Mbaye and Robbie Robinson will be eligible for selection by MLS clubs after spectacular careers as a part of Clemson’s program. Dieterich and Mbaye are recent graduates from Clemson, while Robinson recently signed a Generation adidas contract following his junior season.
The team will hold a period of media availability following the first round of selections, tentatively set for 2:15 p.m. Robbie Robinson and Head Coach Mike Noonan will be available for questions during this time. Those wishing to attend should park in the grass lot off of East Beach Drive and enter Jervey Athletic Center via the entrance doors off of Perimeter Road. Those outlets interested in attending should notify Matthew Kamph (mkamph@g.clemson.edu) ahead of the event.
Dieterich is set to enter the MLS SuperDraft after a four-year career at Clemson, playing in a total of 74 matches. Dieterich has been a captain for the program the past three seasons and capped his senior season with three goals and a team-leading mark of 10 assists. The 2019 season saw Dieterich log 1,661 minutes of action and score the game-winning goal in the team’s match against Boston College. For his consistent excellence, Dieterich earned Second Team All-ACC honors. A native of Nashville, Tenn., Dieterich is a former member of the Real Salt Lake Academy and was a member of the U-19 U.S. Youth National Team in 2016.
Mbaye becomes draft-eligible after a stellar four-year career along Clemson’s backline. Mbaye’s senior season culminated with him being named the ACC Defensive Player of the Year, Third Team All-America, First Team All-South Region and First Team All-ACC. Mbaye accumulated a staggering tally of 1,950 minutes over 21 matches this season, contributing three goals, one assist and leading the team to 10 shutouts. Mbaye, a native of Dakar, Senegal, will enter the draft after graduating with his degree in Sociology this past December.
Robinson, who declared for the draft on Dec. 30, is the recent recipient of college soccer’s most prestigious honor, the MAC Hermann Trophy. The honor comes after one of the most decorated seasons by a member of Clemson’s program, as Robinson was named a First Team All-American, First Team All-South Region, ACC Offensive Player of the Year and earned First Team All-ACC honors. Robinson was the most electric player in the country during the 2019 campaign, scoring 18 goals, providing nine assists and accumulating a nation-leading mark of 45 points.
The MLS SuperDraft will be able to be viewed via the ESPN app, Twitter, Facebook and YouTube. The broadcast will begin at 12:30 p.m. (EST) and will continue until the end of the first round. The second round of selections will take place via conference call amongst the league’s teams and officials. Fans wishing to follow along can do so via mlssoccer.com. The third and fourth rounds will take place on Monday, Jan. 13 and will follow the same format as the second round.