Sporting Kansas City made significant moves in the 2025 MLS SuperDraft, selecting three players from Big Ten Conference colleges on December 20, 2024.

The team picked defender Jansen Miller from Indiana University with the eighth overall pick, defender Anthony Samways from Ohio State University with the 34th pick, and midfielder Leon Koehl from the University of Maryland with the 64th pick.

Jansen Miller, a 22-year-old center-back from Ballwin, Missouri, stands at 6-foot-2 and was a standout player at Indiana, where he was a Second-Team All-Big Ten selection in 2024.

Miller's collegiate achievements include being a College Cup finalist in 2022 and winning the Big Ten tournament in 2023, along with experience playing for USL League Two teams.

Anthony Samways, selected 34th overall, has a strong background with the Columbus Crew academy and played for Kings Hammer FC in USL League Two before his senior season.

During his time at Ohio State, Samways appeared in 67 games and was recognized for his performance with a Second Team All-Big Ten selection in 2022, contributing to the team's NCAA College Cup semifinal run in 2024.

Samways is a versatile player who has played as both a defender and midfielder, and he is likely best suited for a wingback role.

Leon Koehl, the third selection, is a 20-year-old midfielder from Maryland who previously played in the youth system of Bayer Leverkusen and was included in a Bundesliga match for the senior team in May 2023.

Koehl was named to the All-Big Ten First Team and made significant contributions to the Maryland Terrapins, scoring seven goals and providing four assists across 30 games.

Primarily a defensive midfielder, Koehl is expected to showcase his abilities in preseason after leaving Maryland to enter the draft.

While the draft's significance is diminishing, making it challenging to predict the immediate contributions of selected players, Sporting KC appears to have made solid choices.

Miller expressed excitement about joining Sporting Kansas City, citing the club's successful history in MLS.