Hughes made Nine Appearances for Columbus Crew 2 Prior to Loan
Hughes made Nine Appearances for Columbus Crew 2 Prior to Loan
TULSA – FC Tulsa has acquired 22-year-old center-back Keegan Hughes on loan from MLS side Columbus Crew for the remainder of the 2023 USL Championship season, the club announced on Friday morning.
Hughes, towering at 6’3”, joins FC Tulsa after making his MLS debut with Columbus earlier this season and nine MLS NEXT Pro appearances for Crew 2. The native of Heath, Ohio played every minute of all nine matches and scored once.
“Keegan brings a lot of qualities to us at the center-back position,” said FC Tulsa head coach Blair Gavin. “He has great size and athleticism to cover spaces defensively and is calm on the ball to help progress plays. He is a nice addition for us as we go into the final stretch of games.”
Hughes initially joined the Columbus Crew Academy in 2013 at 13 years old, ascending through the organization’s ranks and picking up the Crew’s Academy Player of the Year award in 2018 along the way. On January 11, 2023, Hughes inked a Homegrown deal with the first team, becoming the 20th player in Columbus history to do so.
In 2019, Hughes commenced an illustrious four-year career at Stanford University where he made 73 appearances, all starts, with eight goals and seven assists. His standout NCAA resume boasts a 2020 Pac-12 title, a Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year award and First-Team All-America honors in 2022, and three All-Pac-12 awards to boot.
“I’m grateful to the club for the opportunity to compete for FC Tulsa,” said Hughes. “I’m also eager to meet the team and learn about this city, and I’m excited to work with Blair and ready for this new journey in Tulsa.”
Hughes has been included in FC Tulsa’s 23-man roster ahead of Friday night’s matchup with Louisville City FC, making him eligible to participate in the match.
