List of Akron Zips in the MLS Draft
# List of Akron Zips in the MLS Draft

The University of Akron men's soccer team. has had 23 players drafted in Major League Soccer (MLS) as well as seven non-drafted players (most due to homegrown rights). Youth New Zealand international Cameron Knowles was the first 'Zip' to be drafted and play in MLS when he appeared for the Real Salt Lake against the Los Angeles Galaxy on June 22, 2007. In the 2011 draft, the University of Akron made MLS history when five players were selected in the first round, including picks number two through four (as well as pick seven and eight).

Steve Zakuani made an appearance on the DR Congo National Team, and Teal Bunbury, DeAndre Yedlin, Wil Trapp, Perry Kitchen, and Darlington Nagbe have all featured for the United States Men's National Team. Kofi Sarkodie and Zarek Valentin have played for the United States U-20's while Jonathan Lewis, Blair Gavin and Anthony Ampaipitakwong have played for the U-20's and U-17's. Cameron Knowles was part of the New Zealand U-17 squad during the 1999 FIFA U-17 World Championship

## Player selection

### MLS draft

| Year | Round | Pick | Overall | Player | Position | MLS team | Current team |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 2005 | 4 | 1 | 37 | Cameron Knowles | Defender | Real Salt Lake | Retired |
| 2007 | 3 | 7 | 33 | Siniša Ubiparipović | Midfielder | New York Red Bulls | Retired |
| 2009 | 1 | 1 | 1 | Steve Zakuani | Midfielder | Seattle Sounders FC | Retired |
| 2010 | 1 | 4 | 4 | Teal Bunbury | Forward | Sporting Kansas City | New England Revolution |
| 2010 | 1 | 10 | 10 | Blair Gavin | Midfielder | Chivas USA | Retired |
| 2010 | 3 | 16 | 47 | Ben Zemanski | Midfielder | Chivas USA | Retired |
| 2011 | 1 | 2 | 2 | Darlington Nagbe | Midfielder | Portland Timbers | Columbus Crew SC |
| 2011 | 1 | 3 | 3 | Perry Kitchen | Midfielder | D.C. United | LA Galaxy |
| 2011 | 1 | 4 | 4 | Zarek Valentin | Defender | Chivas USA | Houston Dynamo |
| 2011 | 1 | 7 | 7 | Kofi Sarkodie | Defender | Houston Dynamo | Unattached |
| 2011 | 1 | 8 | 8 | Michael Nanchoff | Midfielder | Vancouver Whitecaps FC | Retired |
| 2011 | 2 | 13 | 31 | Chris Korb | Defender | D.C. United | Unattached |
| 2011 | 2 | 15 | 33 | Anthony Ampaipitakwong | Midfielder | San Jose Earthquakes | Bangkok United |
| 2012 | 1 | 2 | 2 | Darren Mattocks | Forward | Vancouver Whitecaps FC | FC Cincinnati |
| 2013 | 3 | 3 | 41 | David Meves | Goalkeeper | Portland Timbers | Unattached |
| 2014 | 2 | 8 | 27 | Robbie Derschang | Defender | Philadelphia Union | Unattached |
| 2014 | 2 | 15 | 34 | Eric Stevenson | Midfielder | New York Red Bulls | Retired |
| 2014 | 3 | 14 | 52 | Aodhan Quinn | Midfielder | Philadelphia Union | Orange County SC |
| 2014 | 4 | 19 | 76 | Reinaldo Brenes | Forward | Sporting Kansas City | Unattached |
| 2015 | 1 | 12 | 12 | Saad Abdul-Salaam | Defender | Sporting Kansas City | FC Cincinnati |
| 2016 | 1 | 7 | 7 | Richie Laryea | Midfielder | Orlando City SC | Toronto FC |
| 2017 | 1 | 3 | 3 | Jonathan Lewis | Forward | New York City FC | Colorado Rapids |
| 2017 | 2 | 14 | 36 | Danilo Radjen | Defender | Houston Dynamo | Unattached |
| 2018 | 1 | 1 | 1 | João Moutinho | Defender | Los Angeles FC | Orlando City SC |
| 2018 | 2 | 8 | 31 | Niko De Vera | Defender | New York Red Bulls | Portland Timbers 2 |
| 2018 | 3 | 2 | 48 | Nate Shultz | Defender | LA Galaxy | Unattached |
| 2018 | 3 | 18 | 31 | Stuart Holthusen | Forward | Portland Timbers | Unattached |
| 2019 | 2 | 13 | 37 | Ben Lundt | Goalkeeper | FC Cincinnati | FC Cincinnati |
| 2019 | 2 | 19 | 43 | Abdi Mohamed | Defender | New York City FC | Unattached |

### Non-draft MLS players

| Date | Player | Position | MLS team | Current team | Notes |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| October 21, 2011 | Evan Bush | Goalkeeper | Montreal Impact | Columbus Crew SC | Signed for 2012 season |
| December 13, 2012 | Wil Trapp | Midfielder | Columbus Crew SC | Inter Miami | Signed as Home Grown Player |
| January 10, 2013 | Chad Barson | Defender | Columbus Crew SC | Retired | Signed as Home Grown Player |
| January 11, 2013 | DeAndre Yedlin | Defender | Seattle Sounders FC | Newcastle United F.C. | Signed as Home Grown Player |
| January 18, 2013 | Dillon Serna | Midfielder | Colorado Rapids | Colorado Rapids | Signed as Home Grown Player |
| January 21, 2013 | Scott Caldwell | Midfielder | New England Revolution | New England Revolution | Signed as Home Grown Player |
| February 8, 2017 | Adam Najem | Midfielder | New York Red Bulls | Memphis 901 FC | Traded Red Bulls Homegrown Rights to Philadelphia Union |
