Doody, Lepley Selected in 2024 MLS SuperDraft
December 19, 2023 | Men's Soccer
UCLA senior defender Grayson Doody was selected No. 10 overall by CF Montreal, while redshirt junior midfielder Tucker Lepley was drafted No. 62 overall by the LA Galaxy in Tuesday's 2024 MLS SuperDraft.
The pair becomes UCLA's 83rd and 84th MLS draft picks all-time. The Bruins have now had five draft picks under fifth-year head coach Ryan Jorden.
Doody is the 22nd Bruin ever to be selected in the first round of the MLS SuperDraft, which was implemented starting in 2000. UCLA's most recent first-rounder was midfielder Ahmed Longmire, the No. 10 overall selection in the 2022 draft. That year also represents the last time the Bruins had multiple players selected in a single SuperDraft.
Doody has appeared in 67 games for the Bruins, making 61 starts. This past season, Doody started and played in all 18 games for the Bruins, playing a career-high 1,550 minutes. Doody was used primarily as a right back and played all 90 minutes in 12 of those games to help UCLA claim the Pac-12 title. As for 2022, he appeared in all but one of UCLA's 20 games, recording two assists while operating primarily as a right back. The Hermosa Beach, California native set up Andre Ochoa's first-half equalizer as UCLA recorded a 2-1 victory at No. 12 Clemson in the NCAA Tournament Second Round on Nov. 20, 2022. He played the full 90 in 12 of his starts, including each of the season's final seven games. As for 2021, he appeared in 18 of the team's 19 games, making 13 starts while tallying three assists. As a true freshman in 2020-21, he started all 12 of the team's games that season, scoring three goals and adding an additional assist. His top performance of the year came in the season finale against California on April 17, as he notched a brace to help the Bruins to a 4-3 overtime win.
Lepley has appeared in 45 games for the Bruins. He started all 18 of UCLA's games in 2023 and finished the campaign with three goals and two assists. To conclude the season, Lepley earned two Third Team All-American honors from United Soccer Coaches and TopDrawerSoccer, All-Far West Region honors, and was a First Team All-Pac-12 selection in 2023. The Charlotte, North Carolina native played all 90 minutes in nine of UCLA's contests and played at least 75 minutes in 17 of 18 games throughout the season. Lepley also led the Bruins to an unbeaten 6-0-4 mark in Pac-12 play and helped UCLA earn its first Pac-12 title since 2012. The redshirt junior scored in wins at UC Irvine, vs. California, and at San Diego State. He earned assists in the Bruins season opener against Virginia Tech and notched an assist at UC Irvine. In games Lepley scored or assisted, UCLA went 4-0 on the season.
For his career, Lepley has tallied 11 goals and 10 assists across 45 games. The midfielder enjoyed a breakout campaign in his redshirt freshman season in 2021 when he scored five goals and dished out an additional seven assists to lead the team in points with 17. For his efforts, Lepley was named to the Far West All-Region Second Team after the season, earned College Soccer News All-Freshman First Team honors, and was named to the TopDrawerSoccer Freshman Best XI First Team in 2021.
The pair becomes UCLA's 83rd and 84th MLS draft picks all-time. The Bruins have now had five draft picks under fifth-year head coach Ryan Jorden.
Doody is the 22nd Bruin ever to be selected in the first round of the MLS SuperDraft, which was implemented starting in 2000. UCLA's most recent first-rounder was midfielder Ahmed Longmire, the No. 10 overall selection in the 2022 draft. That year also represents the last time the Bruins had multiple players selected in a single SuperDraft.
Doody has appeared in 67 games for the Bruins, making 61 starts. This past season, Doody started and played in all 18 games for the Bruins, playing a career-high 1,550 minutes. Doody was used primarily as a right back and played all 90 minutes in 12 of those games to help UCLA claim the Pac-12 title. As for 2022, he appeared in all but one of UCLA's 20 games, recording two assists while operating primarily as a right back. The Hermosa Beach, California native set up Andre Ochoa's first-half equalizer as UCLA recorded a 2-1 victory at No. 12 Clemson in the NCAA Tournament Second Round on Nov. 20, 2022. He played the full 90 in 12 of his starts, including each of the season's final seven games. As for 2021, he appeared in 18 of the team's 19 games, making 13 starts while tallying three assists. As a true freshman in 2020-21, he started all 12 of the team's games that season, scoring three goals and adding an additional assist. His top performance of the year came in the season finale against California on April 17, as he notched a brace to help the Bruins to a 4-3 overtime win.
Lepley has appeared in 45 games for the Bruins. He started all 18 of UCLA's games in 2023 and finished the campaign with three goals and two assists. To conclude the season, Lepley earned two Third Team All-American honors from United Soccer Coaches and TopDrawerSoccer, All-Far West Region honors, and was a First Team All-Pac-12 selection in 2023. The Charlotte, North Carolina native played all 90 minutes in nine of UCLA's contests and played at least 75 minutes in 17 of 18 games throughout the season. Lepley also led the Bruins to an unbeaten 6-0-4 mark in Pac-12 play and helped UCLA earn its first Pac-12 title since 2012. The redshirt junior scored in wins at UC Irvine, vs. California, and at San Diego State. He earned assists in the Bruins season opener against Virginia Tech and notched an assist at UC Irvine. In games Lepley scored or assisted, UCLA went 4-0 on the season.
For his career, Lepley has tallied 11 goals and 10 assists across 45 games. The midfielder enjoyed a breakout campaign in his redshirt freshman season in 2021 when he scored five goals and dished out an additional seven assists to lead the team in points with 17. For his efforts, Lepley was named to the Far West All-Region Second Team after the season, earned College Soccer News All-Freshman First Team honors, and was named to the TopDrawerSoccer Freshman Best XI First Team in 2021.
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