SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. - Sophomore forward Brayden Beason has been selected by Real Salt Lake with the 73^rd overall pick in the third round of the 2026 MLS SuperDraft on Thursday.

This marks the second straight year a student-athlete from the University of San Francisco has been selected, after Reid Roberts was drafted fifth overall by the San Jose Earthquakes in the 2025 MLS SuperDraft.

Beason has been a dynamic force since coming to the Hilltop, earning All-West Coast Conference (WCC) honors in his first two seasons in the green and gold. Overall, the forward has started in 27 of the 32 matches he has appeared in for San Francisco, tallying 12 goals, 2 assists, and 26 points to go along with 66 shots, 29 of which have been on goal. He holds a career .439 shot percentage, including three game-winning goals.

This fall, Beason took his game to the next level, finishing in the top 15 in the conference in shots (38, seventh), goals (seven, tied for eighth), shots on goal (16, tied for eighth), game-winning goals (two, tied for eighth), and points (15, tied for 12^th). Notably, Beason's first game-winning goal came in a 3-0 shutout on the road at San José State on Sept. 4, with his second being the deciding factor in a 1-0 shutout of Gonzaga at home on Oct. 10. For these efforts, he earned a spot on the All-WCC First Team alongside David Raphael.

In his first year at USF in 2024, Beason led the Dons while tying for seventh in the WCC with five goals as a freshman. He added one assist to finish with 11 points, tallying 28 shots in total, with 13 coming on target. Beason notched his first game-winning goal in USF's 3-2 win at Saint Mary's on Nov. 9, 2024. At the conclusion of the regular season, he was named to the All-WCC Freshman Team.

Before the draft, Beason and Raphael were two of the top 45 invitees for the 2025 MLS College Showcase.

For updates and more information on the San Francisco men's soccer program, be sure to follow @USFDonsMSoccer on Twitter, @USFDonsMensSoccer on Instagram, and @USFDonsMSoccer on Facebook.