Alec Hughes was selected by Los Angeles FC with the No. 22 overall pick in Friday afternoon’s 2025 MLS SuperDraft. He became the first Minuteman in program history to have his name called at the draft.

Most Major League Soccer draft picks tend to start with the reserve sides, so Hughes will likely begin his career with LAFC 2 of MLS NEXT Pro. LAFC is strong at the striker position, flaunting France’s international leading goal scorer Olivier Giroud up top. Hughes will have to wait patiently for his opportunity to play at the MLS level.

Just two UMass players have ever touched the MLS pitch. Yosuke Hanya, a 2022 graduate, has appeared on two occasions for the Colorado Rapids up to this point and is hoping for more looks in the near future. Mike Butler graduated in 1997 and played a single match for the New York/New Jersey MetroStars. In his one appearance, Butler scored the match-winner in the 93rd minute.

Hughes scored 16 goals during the 2024 season, leading the Minutemen to the quarterfinals of the NCAA Tournament. He leaves the school as the all-time leader in scoring, with 51 collegiate tallies.

The accolades keep coming for Hughes, as he earned Second Team All-American honors on Monday. He also became the first player to win the Atlantic 10 Offensive Player of the Year award in three consecutive years. Hughes won A-10 Rookie of the Year at the start of his Minutemen career, which was a sign of things to come.

Cameron Pellegrino can be reached at [email protected] and followed on X @cam_pellegrino.