Ed Reed
 
Fort Myers News-Press & Naples Daily News

The MLS held its 2026 SuperDraft on Thursday, Dec. 18, with the league’s 30 teams picking a total of 90 players over three rounds.

For the first time, not one, but two Southwest Florida high school products were selected. And not just picked but taken within the first five selections. Fort Myers graduate Ricky Louis, who played his sophomore season at Georgia Southern this year, was taken second overall by FC Dallas. Three picks later, Naples High grad Harvey Sarajian, who played with Louis as a freshman at Georgia Southern before transferring to play at Wake Forest this season, was selected by Orlando City fifth overall.

With Southwest Florida having its first two Major League Soccer draftees, and both so high, here are the highest area selections from the four major sports — MLB, NBA, NFL and NHL.

Major League BaseballMike Zunino

Round: 1

Pick: 3

Year: 2012

Team: Seattle Mariners

The Mariner High graduate was taken third overall out of the University of Florida. The Gators catcher won the Golden Spikes Award as the nation’s top amateur player in 2012 and was the first Florida player ever taken in the top five. In high school, the Cape Coral native was named Class 5A Gatorade Player of the Year and a finalist for National Player of the Year as a senior and was inducted into the Lee County Athletic Hall of Fame in 2025. He spent 10 years in the Major Leagues and played in the 2020 World Series with the Tampa Rays.

Collier County’s top pick: Barron Collier catcher Greg David was taken 25th overall by the Toronto Blue Jays in 1985, making him the highest high school draftee from a Collier County school. 

All-Time MLB Draft: Southwest Florida’s picks from Collier and Lee County, FGCU and FSW

National Basketball AssociationWalt Wesley

Round: 1

Pick: 6

Year: 1966

Team: Cincinnati Royals

The 1962 Dunbar High graduate played his college ball at the University of Kansas. The 6-foot-11 center played for eight different teams in his 10-year NBA career. Wesley saw his No. 13 Jayhawks jersey retired in the Allen Fieldhouse after being a two-time all-Big Eight selection as a junior and senior, along with being a two-time consensus All-American center. Wesley had his No. 31 jersey at Dunbar retired in 2008, and was the first Fort Myers athlete to break through and make the NBA. Wesley passed away at the age of 79 in 2024.

National Football LeagueJoe Renfroe

Round: 1

Pick: 3

Year: 1945

Team: Brooklyn Tigers

The Fort Myers graduate went on to be an All-SEC fullback and punter for Tulane. He was taken third overall by the Tigers, which later became the Cleveland Browns. Renfroe is the first player from Southwest Florida to be drafted by an NFL team. He suffered a career-ending shoulder injury playing against the Green Bay Packers in 1945 and later became the head coach (1953-1969) and athletic director (1969-1987) at Hinds Junior College in Utica, Mississippi. The school’s football field is named Joe Renfroe Stadium. He died in 1987.

In modern times, Immokalee High grad and Miami running back Edgerrin James was taken fourth overall by the Indianapolis Colts in 1999, and South Fort Myers grad and Clemson product Sammy Watkins was taken fourth overall in 2014 by the Buffalo Bills. North Fort Myers High grad and FSU star Deion Sanders was taken fifth overall by the Atlanta Falcons in 1989.

NFL Draft: Here’s a look at every Southwest Florida player ever selected

National Hockey LeagueGavin Brindley

Round: 2

Pick: 34

Year: 2023

Team: Columbus Blue Jackets

Brindley, the son of former Florida Everblades player Ryan Brindley, grew up in Estero and played for the Junior Everblades as a youth. He went on to play at the University of Michigan where he earned Big Ten Player of the Year honors and led the team to the Frozen Four his freshman season, and was the Big Ten scoring champion his sophomore year. He helped Team USA win the gold medal at the 2024 World Junior Championships. He signed with Columbus in April 2024 and made his NHL debut on April 16. He was traded to the Colorado Avalanche in June 2025. In 21 games played for the Avalanche in 2025, he has five goals and four assists.

Not far behind Brindley is another Estero native and Brindley’s Junior Everblades and Michigan teammate Seamus Casey. Casey was taken 46th overall in the second round of the 2022 NHL entry draft by the New Jersey Devils. He signed his entry-level contract in 2024. He’s played in 16 NHL games over his first two pro seasons, spending the majority of his time with the AHL’s Utica Comets.