Kipp Keller Lands in Cincinnati Excited for a Fresh Start, New Opportunity

December 21, 2023 – Major League Soccer (MLS) – FC Cincinnati News Release

In December 2021, Kipp Keller sat at home waiting to hear his name called in the 2022 MLS SuperDraft to start his professional career. He was joined by friends, family, and even local press came to his house to celebrate the occasion. There was a chance he would hear his name called first overall and be the next in a line of great St. Louis based players to enter MLS.

The college junior left school early to sign a Generation Adidas contract and knew he was going to be picked, but didn’t know where. A first overall selection would have been a nice feather in his cap, but the stakes were lower given his deal was already signed.

High on his list though was FC Cincinnati who owned the second pick of the draft that would ultimately be used on Roman Celentano. The recently named NCAA All-American had grown more and more fond of FCC as a landing spot in the pre draft process. He interviewed with the technical staff and began to envision himself in Orange and Blue.

But the fates wouldn’t align that day. Keller was taken sixth overall by Austin FC and would eventually be a game one starter for the Verde.

Somewhere along the line though, Keller fell out of favor. The transition from NCAA to MLS is challenging and Austin struggled to find him moments to shine and grow through the challenges. He would play 13 MLS matches in Austin, starting just six, over the next two seasons. He would make appearances in Leagues Cup, the U.S. Open Cup, and even subbed on late in the Concacaf Champions League match against Violette AC. But the once highly touted draft pick found himself on the outside looking in.

Meanwhile, at FC Cincinnati, general manager Chris Albright continued to hold Keller in high regard. While the draft pick of Celentano ultimately worked out very well for The Orange and Blue, Keller’s high upside potential continued to be something Albright and his staff tracked. So when the defender became available two years later, the faith was still there to pull the trigger and bring him to Cincinnati.

Now Keller is set to play in the Queen City.

“I’m grateful for the past two years with Austin,” Keller said via a Zoom call from his family home in the suburbs of St. Louis, wearing a FC Cincinnati ball cap.

Thanks to the uniqueness of the MLS SuperDraft, Keller was sent merchandise for all MLS clubs in the event he was taken by any of them. Once the Austin green was used the rest found their way…