Photo: Jeff Liang
By Sebastian Quiroz-Gutierrez – @SebastianQuir0z
When Major League Soccer released its 2025 22 Under 22 rankings on Oct. 8, one name stood out for college soccer fans — Manu Duah. The San Diego FC defender, who ranked No. 15 on the annual list of the league’s top young talents, was the only player among the 22 to have played NCAA soccer.
Duah’s journey to the professional ranks began in Kumasi, Ghana, before he made his way to the University of California, Santa Barbara, where he quickly lived up to the lofty expectations set for him.
“Manu would be considered one of the top 10 recruits in the country, if not probably the best player from the ’24 class,” UCSB head coach Tim Vom Steeg said when announcing his signing. “He has all the components of a great college player and beyond: size, athleticism, great feet, really smart. He is a player that can make an immediate impact when he steps on the field.”
That assessment proved to be true. As a freshman in 2024, Duah started 14 matches, playing every minute in 10 of them while helping the Gauchos record six shutouts. He also tallied his first collegiate assist in a match against Kansas City on Aug. 29.
Following his standout debut season, Duah declared for the MLS SuperDraft after signing a Generation adidas contract, an honor reserved for the country’s most promising underclassmen. He went on to make history as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 MLS SuperDraft, selected by expansion side San Diego FC — the highest draft pick in UCSB men’s soccer history.
“It really, really means a lot to me,” Duah said after being drafted. “From all the hard work, I never, never could have dreamed that I’m going to be the number one pick, but through God everything is possible. Now that I’m here, the job is not done yet. It’s a new chapter; I need to focus and work hard on that.”
Duah made his MLS debut in June, featuring in a 5-3 win against the Vancouver Whitecaps. Since breaking into San Diego’s starting lineup midseason, he has become a key part of one of the league’s most successful expansion campaigns.
MLS Armchair Analyst Matt Doyle was among the first to spotlight Duah’s rise, listing him No. 4 in his pre-release projections. “Duah’s still learning how to play center back – he was a college midfielder – but he’s got the measurables at 6-foot-4, has good soccer instincts, and does stuff on the ball that you don’t see often outside of the top teams in the world,” Doyle wrote in September. “San Diego has lost just once in league play since [he entered the XI].”
The official 22 Under 22 profile echoed that sentiment, noting Duah’s smooth transition to defense: “Selected No. 1 by San Diego FC in the 2025 MLS SuperDraft, Duah entered the league as a promising box-to-box midfielder out of UC Santa Barbara. However, the 20-year-old Ghana native has been a revelation at center back, locking down the starting job over the summer and helping San Diego set the MLS expansion points record during a historic season.”
As the only college product on this year’s list, Duah’s rapid ascent from freshman standout to professional mainstay underscores the continued role of college soccer in developing elite talent. It cements his place among the brightest young players in Major League Soccer.
