Toronto FC made four selections in the 2021 MLS SuperDraft presented by adidas on Thursday. The club selected defender Matt Di Rosa from the University of Maryland in the first round with the 25th overall pick, and forward Nathaniel Crofts Jr. in the second round (45th overall) from the University of Virginia. In the third round, TFC picked midfielder Paul Rothrock (64th overall) from Georgetown University and defender Talen Maples (72nd overall) from Southern Methodist University.
In the first round Toronto FC also acquired $50,000 in General Allocation Money (GAM) and the 25th pick overall from Minnesota United FC in exchange for the Reds 18th overall pick.
“Each player that we selected today has different talents. We have an intensely competitive and deep first team. We’re looking forward to the players coming in to train and compete for an opportunity,” said Toronto FC General Manager Ali Curtis. “Matt Di Rosa is a left back who was an important player on an NCAA championship team at Maryland. Nathaniel Crofts Jr. is a versatile attacking player who was a four-year starter on a very good team at Virginia. Paul Rothrock is another versatile player who won a national championship at Georgetown and Talen Maples is a strong defender who was a leader of his team at Southern Methodist University. We are looking forward to getting these players integrated into our club to see how they can compete at the professional level.”
Di Rosa, 22, made 46 appearances, starting 36 matches during his time at Maryland. During the 2018 College Cup, Di Rosa scored the winning goal in Maryland’s semifinal victory over Indiana University. The Terrapins went on to win the national title.
Crofts, 24, native of Sheffield, England, spent four seasons with University of Virginia. In his freshman year, he was one of the six Cavalier players to start all 21 games. During his junior year with the Cavaliers, Crofts made 23 appearances and started in 22 matches to help lead UVA to the ACC title. He scored six goals and registered three assists and was named to the ACC All-Tournament Team.
Rothrock, 22, split his collegiate career between the University of Notre Dame and Georgetown University. As a sophomore at Notre Dame, he made 13 appearances and scored one goal. Rothrock transferred to Georgetown University, where he made 24 appearances and registered four goals and seven assists for the Hoyas during their 2019 NCAA championship season.
Maples, 22, made 49 appearances and registered four goals and eight assists for Southern Methodist University. He was named to the American Athletic Conference All-Rookie Team in 2017, and AAC First Team All-Conference in 2018.
MATT DI ROSA
Position: Defender
Height: 5’10
Weight: 160 lbs
Birthdate: August 10, 1998 (Age – 22 years)
Hometown: Washington, DC
Nationality: American
College: University of Maryland
NATHANIEL CROFTS JR.
Position: Forward
Height: 5’7
Weight: 135 lbs.
Birthdate: January 1, 1997 (Age – 24 years)
Hometown: Sheffield, England
Nationality: British
College: University of Virginia
PAUL ROTHROCK
Position: Midfielder
Height: 5’9
Weight: 163 lbs.
Birthdate: January 9, 1999 (Age – 22 years)
Hometown: Seattle, WA.
Nationality: American
College: Georgetown University
TALEN MAPLES
Position: Defender
Height: 6’0
Weight: 188 lbs.
Birthdate: November 20, 1998 (Age – 22 years)
Hometown: Leander, TX
Nationality: American
College: Southern Methodist University
