SANTA BARBARA, Calif. — In advance of the Major League Soccer SuperDraft on Friday, UC Santa Barbara Men's Soccer's Manu Duah has already signed an MLS contract. The Gauchos' stellar midfielder is one of four members of this year's Generation adidas class, a joint program between MLS and adidas dedicated to developing exceptional talent in a professional environment.
 
By signing with Generation adidas, Duah not only becomes draft-eligible as a collegiate freshman, he is also guaranteed a spot on the roster of whichever team selects him for three years as at least a reserve player. The Kumasi, Ghana native and former Santa Barbara Soccer Club native will now wait to hear his name called on Friday. The MLS SuperDraft will begin at 11 a.m. PT on Friday, with pick-by-pick updates and coverage available at MLSsoccer.com.
 
Duah started all 14 games he played for the Gauchos this year, with Santa Barbara going 8-3-3 in those contests. He, alongside teammate Alexis Ledoux, will hope to become the first Gaucho picked in the MLS SuperDraft since Noah Billingsley in 2020.