Nashville Soccer Club selected 2023 Generation adidas defender Joey Skinner, defenders Sean Suber and Makel Rasheed, forwards Alex Meinhard and Lyam MacKinnon, and midfielder Rory O’Driscoll in the 2023 MLS SuperDraft, presented by adidas.
Nashville added Skinner with the 11th overall pick after acquiring the pick from Charlotte FC via a trade on Dec. 12, 2021. Skinner, a member of 2023 Generation adidas class, played his sophomore season at Clemson University, appearing in every match for the Tigers in 2022. The defender transferred from UNC Greensboro, in which he was a first-team All-SoCon selection as a freshman in 2021, scoring four goals and registering seven assists while anchoring the program to the best goal differential in the country (+38) and 10 clean sheets.
In the Second Round, Nashville SC selected defender Sean Suber with the sixth pick. Suber played three seasons at UNC Charlotte, appearing in 37 matches. In his senior season, he was named Team Captain and guided Charlotte to its best start in program history with victories in each of its first seven matches.
With the second selection in the Second Round, Nashville SC selected forward Alex Meinhard from the University of Tulsa. A prolific collegiate scorer, Meinhard recorded 29 goals in 39 appearances for Tulsa, including double-digit goal scoring efforts in back-to-back seasons. The attacker was selected as The American Offensive Player of the Year in 2021 and was First-Team All-Conference this past season.
Nashville SC had three selections in the Third Round, beginning with defender Makel Rasheed from Xavier University. Rasheed played his senior season at Xavier after transferring from the University of Indianapolis. Across his four-year collegiate career, Rasheed appeared in 63 matches.
With the second selection in the Third Round, Nashville SC selected Rory O’Driscoll from the University of New Hampshire. O’Driscoll made 63 appearances with 19 goals in four seasons.
The final selection of the night was forward Lyam MacKinnon from Villanova University. In three seasons for the Wildcats, MacKinnon scored 15 times in 49 appearances.
Transactions:
Nashville SC selected 2023 Generation adidas defender Joey Skinner with the 11th overall pick in the 2023 MLS SuperDraft, presented by adidas, defender Sean Suber with the No. 6 pick in the Second Round (35th overall), midfielder Alex Meinhard with the No. 20 pick in the Second Round (49th overall), defender Makel Rasheed with the No. 7 pick in the Third Round (65th overall), midfielder Rory O’Driscoll with the No. 20 pick in the Third Round (78th overall) and forward Lyam MacKinnon with the No. 26 pick in the Third Round (84th overall)
JOEY SKINNER
Position: Defender
Height: 6-2
Weight: 155
Birthdate:Â 3/28/2003
Age:Â 19
Hometown:Â Charlotte, N.C.
Nationality: United States
Last club:Â Clemson
How Acquired: Selected by Nashville SC with the No. 11 overall pick in the 2023 MLS SuperDraft presented by adidas
SEAN SUBER
Position: Defender
Height: 6-1
Weight: 180
Birthdate:Â 6/13/2001
Age:Â 21
Hometown:Â Charlotte, N.C.
Nationality:Â United States
Last club:Â UNC Charlotte
How Acquired: Selected by Nashville SC with the No. 6 pick in the Second Round (35th overall) of the 2023 MLS SuperDraft presented by adidas
ALEX MEINHARD
Position: Winger
Height: 5-11
Weight: 160
Birthdate:Â 11/26/1998
Age:Â 24
Hometown:Â Tartu, Estonia
Nationality:Â Estonia
Last club:Â University of Tulsa
How Acquired: Selected by Nashville SC with the No. 20 pick in the Second Round (49th overall) of the 2023 MLS SuperDraft presented by adidas
MAKEL RASHEED
Position: Defender
Height: 6-4
Weight: 197
Birthdate:Â 5/14/2001
Age:Â 21
Hometown:Â Rockville, MD
Nationality:Â United States
Last club:Â Xavier
How Acquired: Selected by Nashville SC with the No. 7 pick in the Third Round (65th overall) of the 2023 MLS SuperDraft presented by adidas
RORY O’DRISCOLL
Position: Midfielder
Height: 5-10
Weight: 165
Birthdate:Â 2/16/2000
Age:Â 22
Hometown:Â Minneapolis, Minn.
Nationality:Â United States
Last club:Â University of New Hampshire
How Acquired: Selected by Nashville SC with the No. 20 pick in the Third Round (78th overall) of the 2023 MLS SuperDraft presented by adidas
LYAM MACKINNON
Position: Forward
Height: 6-1
Weight: 175
Birthdate:Â 9/25/199
Age:Â 23
Hometown:Â Lausanne, Switzerland
Nationality:Â Â Switzerland
Last club:Â Villanova
How Acquired: Selected by Nashville SC with the No. 26 pick in the Third Round (84th overall) of the 2023 MLS SuperDraft presented by adidas
Nashville SC joined Major League Soccer on Feb. 29, 2020, in front of the largest attendance ever recorded for a soccer match in the State of Tennessee. In its inaugural MLS season, Nashville SC defeated expectations by becoming the second MLS expansion side to win and advance to the Conference Semifinals in the 2020 Audi MLS Cup Playoffs. Nashville SC returned to the 2021 Audi MLS Cup Playoffs in its sophomore season after becoming just the seventh team in MLS history to go unbeaten at home in a season. Nashville SC inaugurated GEODIS Park, the largest soccer-specific stadium in the United States and Canada, in front of a 30,109-sellout crowd on May 1, 2022. For more information, visit NashvilleSC.com and follow the club at @NashvilleSC on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and Spotify.
