Former Penn State men’s soccer cornerstone defender Femi Awodesu signed a first team contract with Houston Dynamo FC on Friday, elevating himself from the club’s MLS NEXT Pro team, Houston Dynamo 2. The contract runs through the 2025 season with club options in 2026 and 2027.

Awodesu spent the entire 2024 season with Houston Dynamo 2 in MLS NEXT Pro, where he started all 29 games and tied for the league lead in minutes. He completed over 1,400 passes and scored two goals with an assist in his time with the team.

Despite going undrafted in the 2024 MLS SuperDraft, Awodesu worked towards this achievement by shining in Houston Dynamo 2’s preseason camp, which he received an invite to after the draft. With his success in MLS NEXT Pro, Awodesu now represents Penn State on the biggest soccer stage in the nation: MLS.

In his time as a Nittany Lion, Awodesu earned the 2023 Big Ten Defender of the Year honor as well as back-to-back All-Big Ten team selections in 2022 and 2023. He appeared in 65 games with 61 starts through four seasons and notched six goals and an assist.

Awodesu and the Houston Dynamo are currently in Tampa for preseason camp, with their regular season commencing on Saturday, February 22, against in-state rivals FC Dallas.