Twitter reacts to… Orlando City SC signing 2025 MLS SuperDraft pick Joran Gerbet

/ Taylor Williams

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After selecting him as the 27th overall pick in the 2025 MLS SuperDraft back on December 20, Orlando City SC have today announced that Joran Gerbet has been signed to a first team contract at Inter&Co Stadium.

During City’s 2025 pre-season, Gerbet has already made second-half cameos in high-profile friendlies against Atlético Mineiro and Inter Miami. The French central midfielder will now hope to emulate the success of former draft picks Cyle Larin, Chris Mueller, Daryl Dike, and Duncan McGuire before him.

>> CLICK HERE TO VIEW JORAN GERBET’S PLAYER PROFILE <<

Who is Joran Gerbet?

Joran Gerbet is 23-years-old and hails from Valence, a commune in southeastern France.

He joined the Auxerre academy in 2018 after developing in the youth systems of FC Eyrieux Embroye, Rhône Crussol Foot 07, and Olympique de Valence.

Gerbet represented Auxerre B in 2020/21, but he was unable to break into the first team and embarked on a new adventure in North America.

Standing at 5 ft 11 in, he began his collegiate career at Oregon State University, where he played two seasons before transferring to Clemson University for his final two years.

During his time with the Clemson Tigers, he was named a 2024 Mac Hermann Trophy semifinalist, ACC Midfielder of the Year, and a first-team United Soccer Coaches All-American.

Additionally, Joran Gerbet earned United Soccer Coaches First Team All-South Region honours, was a first-team All-ACC selection, and made the All-ACC Tournament Team as a senior.

The 2023 season marked a particularly successful year for Gerbet, as he helped lead Clemson to an NCAA National Championship.

For his performances, he earned a spot on the All-ACC Tournament Team and received third-team All-ACC honours.

In his final season, he made the Academic All-ACC Team and earned second-team All-South Region honours from United Soccer Coaches.

Before joining Clemson, Joran Gerbet was already a rising star at Oregon State, where he earned Pac-12 Player of the Year and First Team All-Pac-12 honours in 2022.

He also earned Pac-12 Freshman of the Year in 2021, along with First Team All-Pac-12 and Second Team All-Far West Region honours.

Notably, Top Drawer Soccer placed him on their Freshman Best XI first team.

Throughout his college career, Gerbet played in 78 games (76 starts), logging 6,708 minutes.

He scored 12 goals and registered 15 assists, with 10 goals and 11 assists coming in his two years at Clemson.

His offensive numbers grew significantly during his time with the Tigers.

For comparison, at Oregon State, he attempted 14 shots, putting 5 on target, while at Clemson, he attempted 54 shots, with 18 finding the target.

Joran Gerbet is also a reliable penalty taker, having scored on all four of his penalty kick attempts – his only four career attempts in college.

At the professional level, Gerbet is expected to play in his favoured No. 8 or No. 6 role.

His signing comes after Orlando City SC parted ways with 2024 MLS SuperDraft pick Jeorgio Kocevski, with Gerbet stepping into his roster spot.

While he may initially spend time with Orlando City B in 2025, Joran Gerbet will be pushing to make his MLS debut and earn first team minutes, particularly with the 2025 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup and 2025 Leagues Cup also on the horizon.

As we already mentioned, Gerbet made an impression by earning a spot as a substitute in our high-profile pre-season friendlies against Atlético Mineiro and Inter Miami.

This was in contrast to fellow 2025 MLS SuperDraft picks Titus Sandy Jr., Collins Oduro, and Takahiro Fujita, who haven’t made a single pre-season squad.

On January 25, the Lions secured a win over Atlético Mineiro (0-0 A.E.T, 6-5 on penalties) and on February 14, we drew 2-2 against Inter Miami at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa.

Gerbet made second-half cameos in both games, which suggested that he was always going to be part of our plans for 2025.

Now the latest member of Orlando City SC’s first team roster, Joran Gerbet becomes only the second Frenchman to represent the Lions after Aurélien Collin in 2015/16.

Introductory words

Executive Vice President of Soccer Operations and General Manager Luiz Muzzi said: “He has done well and worked hard in training this preseason and has great technical abilities that we feel really add to and complement our preferred style of play.”

On his own move, Joran Gerbet said: “It’s an immense honour to be part of this organisation and this team for the next step of my journey.

“Every person has welcomed me with open arms since I got here, and it has felt like home since day one.

“I can’t wait to represent the badge in front of our fans and give everything on the field to bring the wins and the trophies that this club deserves.”

Here’s how Orlando City SC’s 2025 roster is looking with Joran Gerbet included.

Orlando City SC supporters’ view

Orlando City UK gathered the best tweets after Joran Gerbet officially joined Orlando City SC’s first team roster.

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