SANDY, Utah – UCLA senior defender Erik Holt signed a contract with Real Salt Lake of Major League Soccer on Thursday, making him the 21st Homegrown player in club history. Announced alongside the Homegrown signing of Louisville forward Tate Schmitt, Holt will join the club's roster for the 2019 season.
A San Diego native, Holt is coming off a superlative four-year career at UCLA. This past season, he was named to the MAC Hermann Award Watch List – college soccer's top individual honor – while earning First Team All-Pac-12 and First Team All-Region status.
Team captain of both the 2017 and 2018 squads, Holt was a three-time All-Pac-12 choice during his time on campus. Overall, he appeared in 71 games for the Bruins with 61 starts, 2,391 minutes played, one goal, five assists and seven points. Splitting his time between holding midfielder and center back, he contributed to 19 shutouts during his time in Westwood.
"It's been a really exciting experience to be able to fulfill the dream of becoming a professional soccer player," Holt told RSL.com. "I started with RSL in Casa Grande, Arizona and it's been an incredible experience to be able to play at one of the best academies in the country then move onto UCLA. Now to be back with RSL at the professional level is incredible. I can't wait to get started."
Holt was a four-star recruit out of Real Salt Lake's Arizona Academy as a prep player. He received multiple call-ups for MLS reserve games before making his debut with UCLA. Real Salt Lake had the most minutes played by Homegrown players in Major League Soccer in 2018, with RSL Academy products logging 10,826 regular season minutes.
"We know that Tate and Erik are players that would be first round selections if they entered the draft. Having the ability to sign both as RSL Academy graduates is another step in following our youth development philosophy while giving both the ability to develop into first team players over time," said Real Salt Lake General Manager Craig Waibel. "They both had remarkable college careers and we are excited about what the future holds for them here at the club."
Holt is one of nine Bruins currently under contract with an MLS club and one of 22 in the professional ranks worldwide. That figure will likely grow on Jan. 11 with the 2019 MLS SuperDraft, held at Chicago's McCormick Place. Stay tuned to @UCLAMSoccer on Twitter for all offseason updates.