- Joined
- May 8, 2002
- Posts
- 1,171,373
- Reaction score
- 59
Nashville SC added some youth to its midfield room.
Nashville signed Charles-Emile Brunet, its third-round selection in the 2026 MLS SuperDraft, the club announced on Feb. 12. Brunet, a native of Montreal who played at SMU last season, has been a bright spot during preseason. He has one goal in four exhibition games after Nashville took him with the 80th pick of the draft.
Brunet's contract is for one year with options through the 2028-29 season. The club did not disclose financial terms.
Brunet is the first Nashville draft pick to sign with the club immediately after being drafted since defender Joey Skinner in 2023. (Wyatt Meyer, Nashville's first-round pick in the 2024 SuperDraft, returned to college for another season before signing with NSC a year later.) Brunet had two seasons of college eligibility remaining.
“Charles-Emile was identified by our scouting department throughout his college career and he has assimilated to playing at the next level,” said Nashville SC president of soccer operations and general manager Mike Jacobs in a release. “He’s performed well with the first team in preseason and has earned this opportunity."
Brunet was a onetime member of CF Montreal's youth academy and played three seasons for College Ahuntsic, earning team and league MVP honors in 2023 as well as being named a finalist for Canadian Collegiate Player of the Year. He moved to the United States to begin his NCAA career with Central Arkansas, playing in 16 games in 2024 before transferring to SMU for his sophomore season.
In 20 games (all starts) last season for the Mustangs, Brunet scored two goals and added six assists. He was named third-team All-ACC and All-South Region.
While third-round picks often sign contracts with the reserve sides of the teams that drafted them, it's rare for them to sign directly with the first team. Since 2020, just 18 players selected after the second round ended up signing with an MLS club. Nashville has signed two such players: midfielder Luke Haakenson, a fourth-round pick in 2020, and goalkeeper Tor Saunders, a third-round pick in 2021.
Nashville goes into the 2026 season with Eddi Tagseth and Patrick Yazbek set as the main pairing in central midfield, with Brunet joining a group that also includes veteran backup Bryan Acosta and teenager Matthew Corcoran. Tagseth recently signed an extension with NSC which will keep him under contract through December 2027.
Nashville will face Atletico Ottawa on Feb. 17 in the first round of the CONCACAF Champions Cup to open its season. It will begin MLS play when it hosts the New England Revolution at Geodis Park on Feb. 21.
Jacob Shames can be reached by email at [email protected] and on X/Twitter @Jacob_Shames.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Nashville SC signs MLS SuperDraft pick Charles-Emile Brunet
Continue reading...
Nashville signed Charles-Emile Brunet, its third-round selection in the 2026 MLS SuperDraft, the club announced on Feb. 12. Brunet, a native of Montreal who played at SMU last season, has been a bright spot during preseason. He has one goal in four exhibition games after Nashville took him with the 80th pick of the draft.
Brunet's contract is for one year with options through the 2028-29 season. The club did not disclose financial terms.
Brunet is the first Nashville draft pick to sign with the club immediately after being drafted since defender Joey Skinner in 2023. (Wyatt Meyer, Nashville's first-round pick in the 2024 SuperDraft, returned to college for another season before signing with NSC a year later.) Brunet had two seasons of college eligibility remaining.
“Charles-Emile was identified by our scouting department throughout his college career and he has assimilated to playing at the next level,” said Nashville SC president of soccer operations and general manager Mike Jacobs in a release. “He’s performed well with the first team in preseason and has earned this opportunity."
Brunet was a onetime member of CF Montreal's youth academy and played three seasons for College Ahuntsic, earning team and league MVP honors in 2023 as well as being named a finalist for Canadian Collegiate Player of the Year. He moved to the United States to begin his NCAA career with Central Arkansas, playing in 16 games in 2024 before transferring to SMU for his sophomore season.
In 20 games (all starts) last season for the Mustangs, Brunet scored two goals and added six assists. He was named third-team All-ACC and All-South Region.
While third-round picks often sign contracts with the reserve sides of the teams that drafted them, it's rare for them to sign directly with the first team. Since 2020, just 18 players selected after the second round ended up signing with an MLS club. Nashville has signed two such players: midfielder Luke Haakenson, a fourth-round pick in 2020, and goalkeeper Tor Saunders, a third-round pick in 2021.
Nashville goes into the 2026 season with Eddi Tagseth and Patrick Yazbek set as the main pairing in central midfield, with Brunet joining a group that also includes veteran backup Bryan Acosta and teenager Matthew Corcoran. Tagseth recently signed an extension with NSC which will keep him under contract through December 2027.
Nashville will face Atletico Ottawa on Feb. 17 in the first round of the CONCACAF Champions Cup to open its season. It will begin MLS play when it hosts the New England Revolution at Geodis Park on Feb. 21.
Jacob Shames can be reached by email at [email protected] and on X/Twitter @Jacob_Shames.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Nashville SC signs MLS SuperDraft pick Charles-Emile Brunet
Continue reading...
