Three former Indiana men’s soccer players, defender Daniel Munie, forward Herbert Endeley and forward Ryan Wittenbrink, were selected in the 2023 Major League Soccer SuperDraft on Wednesday.
The San Jose Earthquakes drafted Munie with the No. 10 overall pick, while FC Dallas drafted both Endeley with the No. 24 overall pick and Wittenbrink with the No. 53 overall pick, per Major League Soccer’s official SuperDraft broadcast.
San Jose originally held the rights to the No. 4 overall pick, but a trade with the New England Revolution pushed the Earthquakes’ first-round pick down to the No. 10 slot. Dallas entered the draft with the No. 24 and No. 53 overall picks and retained both ahead of its selections of Endeley and Wittenbrink.
Munie started in 71 of the 79 matches he played across his four-season career with the Hoosiers, anchoring the back line to 41 clean sheets in that span. From the start to conclusion of Munie’s collegiate career, Indiana finished sixth, second, first and 11th place in the nation in clean sheets, respectively.
“It’s a dream come true to play MLS Soccer,” Munie said on the broadcast. “I’m just so thankful for everyone who got me here, especially my family. It means the world to me.”
By securing the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year honor in his senior season, Munie became the first-ever Hoosier and second-ever player in men’s collegiate soccer history to win the award twice. Thanks to his back-to-back seasons as the conference’s best defender, Munie was also named an All-American twice.
En route to his second National Championship game in three seasons, Munie greatly contributed to the four-match shutout streak Indiana maintained in this year’s NCAA Tournament run leading up to the College Cup Final.
Aside from his defensive duties, Munie wasn’t afraid to move up the pitch and contribute to buildups. He totaled eight goals and five assists as a Hoosier, including two goals this season. Each was crucial toward Indiana’s draws on the road against both Rutgers and Michigan.
In the program’s 50th season, Munie wore the captain’s armband and led Indiana to a 14-4-7 overall record in 2022.
“I’m just so thankful for Indiana University for taking the chance on me and developing me into the player I am today,” Munie said. “I’m thankful for San Jose for taking the chance on me and they won’t be disappointed.”
Endeley started in 67 of his 84 total appearances throughout his four years in Bloomington. The former Minnesota Mr. Soccer carried over his success at the youth and high school levels to the Cream and Crimson, tallying 12 goals and 17 assists for the Hoosiers.
His elusiveness as a winger earned the Hoosiers countless set piece opportunities and multiple penalty kicks throughout the 2022 season. Individually, Endeley came third on the team in both goals and assists, with four and six, respectively.
Endeley was instrumental in both of Indiana’s College Cup campaigns during his career. He scored the game-winner against the University of Pittsburgh in the 2020-21 semifinal and hit the strike that tied the match at 2-2 against Clemson University in the National Championship game.
Endeley leaves Bloomington for Dallas with All-Big Ten selections in all four seasons. He was part of the distinguished veteran group that won both the Big Ten regular season championship and Big Ten Tournament title twice.
Joining Endeley in the heart of Texas is Wittenbrink, Indiana’s breakout star in attack this past season.
Wittenbrink provided the answer for many of the questions Indiana faced heading into the season, leading the Hoosiers with 10 goals and nine assists in 24 appearances. His seven-match goal contribution streak between the end of the regular season and start of the NCAA Tournament propelled the Hoosiers to the furthest heights of the national stage once again.
His reliability during the tensest of moments in the attacking third earned Wittenbrink first-team All-Big Ten honors along with inclusions in the Big Ten All-Tournament and College Cup All-Tournament teams during his final journey with the Hoosiers.
With Munie, Endeley and Wittenbrink’s selections, Indiana now boasts 16 former players currently playing in MLS or MLS Next Pro. Notable alumni and recent draftees include FC Cincinnati goalkeeper Roman Celentano, Chicago Fire forward Victor Bezerra and Nashville SC defender Jack Maher. Indiana has now also had a player drafted in the top 10 of the SuperDraft in each of the last six seasons.
A large portion of Indiana’s senior class was also eligible for the 2023 MLS SuperDraft, but ultimately went undrafted. The list included defender Brett Bebej, forward Maouloune Goumballe, forward Karsen Henderlong and midfielder Ben Yeagley.
