Austin FC announced today that they selected midfielder Sofiane Djeffal with the first pick of the 2022 MLS Re-Entry Draft Stage 1.
Austin acquired the first pick via a trade with D.C. United, in which D.C. received $50,000 in 2023 General Allocation Money (GAM) and the 26th pick in the Re-Entry Draft Stage 1 from Austin.
Djeffal, a 23-year-old native of Nantes, France, will occupy Supplemental and International roster designations.
Djeffal began his professional career with D.C. United in 2022, making 28 appearances (19 starts) in his rookie season. He registered 27 interceptions, eight key passes, and one assist.
Before joining D.C., Djeffal had a stellar collegiate career at Oregon State University, where he was named to the All-Pac-12 First Team for four consecutive years.
He was named the Pac-12 Freshman of the Year in 2018 as a freshman, and as a senior in 2021 was voted Pac-12 Player of the Year and named a MAC Hermann Trophy semifinalist.
As a young player, Djeffal spent more than a decade in the academy system of his hometown club, FC Nantes of France’s Ligue 1.