Thursday, Dallas FC selected Virginia freshman forward Nicholas Simmonds and senior midfielder Umberto Pelá in the MLS SuperDraft — a draft of eligible amateur soccer players — with the third and 44th overall picks respectively. Eligibility is extended to collegiate players who are sophomores or older, or collegiate players who have signed Generation adidas contracts. Simmonds signed a Generation adidas contract — a joint developmental program between adidas and the MLS — to become draft-eligible Wednesday.
Simmonds is the first Cavalier to be selected as a top three pick since 2010, and Simmonds and Pelá are the first pair of Virginia teammates to be selected by the same team since 2018. The pair make Cavaliers No. 37 and 38 to have been selected since the SuperDraft began in 2000.
Simmonds was a first team All-American in his meteoric freshman campaign, tallying 10 goals and five assists on his way to first team All-ACC and ACC Freshman of the Year honors. Pelá, a four-year player for Virginia and team captain, recorded his own four goals and six assists, earning second team All-American and first team Scholar All-American recognition.
When players are drafted by MLS clubs, the club retains the exclusive right to sign them for two years. Many collegiate players opt to return to school to first exercise more of their NCAA eligibility before turning to professional leagues. Last year, junior forward AJ Smith and senior defender Nick Dang opted out of signing professional contracts and decided to return to the University despite being selected. Additionally, graduate goalkeeper Casper Mols was selected during his senior year at Kentucky, yet declined to sign and transferred to Virginia instead.
Additionally, senior and graduate defenders Reese Miller and Jesus De Vicente both signed contracts Thursday.
Miller, a Houston native, signed with the Houston Dynamo FC of the MLS via a first team contract as a Homegrown Player. A four-year contributor, Miller earned ACC all-Freshman and third team Freshman All-American honors in 2022.
“Reese [Miller] is a promising young outside back who strengthened his skillset over four years at U.Va., one of the country’s top programs, and made his mark at the collegiate level as a standout defender,” said Houston’s President of Soccer Pat Onstad.
De Vicente signed with the Oakland Roots SC of the USL. De Vicente transferred from UIC to join the Cavaliers for the 2025 season, starting all 19 games and leading the ACC with five assists in conference games.
“We’ve had our eye on Jesus [De Vincente] for some time,” Roots Head Coach Ryan Martin said. “I’ve admired him throughout his tremendous career at U.Va., and when he trained with Oakland last summer he really impressed our staff and players. He’s a left back who, in my opinion, is one of the best in the NCAA.”
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