Position: Central Defender
Age: 21
Key Stat: In the 99th percentile of all college players per American Soccer Analysis
When the list of players eligible for the 2025 MLS SuperDraft last December, it was a surprise to see that Prince Amponsah wasn't included. The 21-year-old was considered one of the brightest collegiate prospects in the nation, and a sure first-round pick. Writing in American Soccer Analysis earlier that year, Paul Harvey called him "a pure left-footed ball-playing CB" who "would be a perfect fit for NYCFC’s possession system."
After Amponsah's absence, our friends at The Outfield read between the lines and correctly predicted that the central defender would nonetheless be signed by New York City FC.
Wake Forest's Prince Amponsah, the best left-footed CB in college, is not on the draft eligible list meaning he is probably signing with NYCFC as a homegrown.
— The Outfield (@theoutfield.nyc) 2024-12-16T20:13:13.055Z
Sure enough, New York City FC had their cake and ate it too. They used their first-round pick in the MLS SuperDraft to select Max Murray, a 6' 5" central defender who just won the national title with the University of Vermont. Then a little less than three weeks later, they announced signing Amponsah to a Homegrown contract.
