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Charlotte FC selects Clemson defenseman Hamaday Diop FIRST in MLS SuperDraft as team brings 2021 national champion to Queen City
- Charlotte FC selected the Senegalese centre-back first overall on Wednesday
- Hamady Diop excelled at Clemson University and played there for three seasons
- The first pick originally belonged to St. Louis before they traded it to Charlotte.
- History has shown that there are gems to be found in the ranks of the SuperDraft
- Click here for the latest international sports news from DailyMail.com
Charlotte FC kicked things off in the 2023 MLS SuperDraft on Wednesday by selecting Hamaday Diop out of Clemson University.
The Senegalese defenseman played three years at the South Carolina school and excelled there the past two, earning second-team All-ACC honors in 2021 and 2022.
A 6-foot center back, he made 40 college starts for the Tigers, scoring seven goals and helping them win the 2021 national championship.
Hamady Diop was selected first by Charlotte FC in the MLS SuperDraft on Wednesday night
While expansion team St. Louis CITY SC originally had the No. 1 pick, they traded it to Charlotte for the 20th pick in this year’s draft, as well as $400,000 in General Allocation Funds (GAM) and conditional GAM.
Charlotte hopes Diop will bolster a defensive line that was in the middle of the pack in its first season in MLS, as it conceded 52 goals, the eighth of 14 teams in the Eastern conference.
Elsewhere in the draft, Orlando City selected Duke forward Shakur Mohammed at No. 2 overall, while New Hampshire defenseman Moise Bombito was selected by the Colorado Rapids at No. 3.
Diop helped Clemson University win a national championship in 2021 from center
He made 40 starts for the ACC school and scored seven goals in his collegiate career.
Rounding out the top five, Maryland midfielder Joshua Bolma was taken by the New England Revolution at No. 4 before UNC Greensboro midfielder JC Ngando was taken by the Vancouver Whitecaps.
While many talented domestic players are drafted by MLS teams at younger ages than the SuperDraft, history has shown that there are certainly gems to be found.
Former USMNT captain Michael Bradley was selected in the SuperDraft in 2004, while eventual Stoke City stalwart Geoff Cameron went to the Houston Dynamo four years later.