TORONTO – Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) Bold men's soccer forward Jevontae Layne has been drafted by Valour FC with the first overall pick in the 2024 CPL-U SPORTS Draft.     Valour FC are based in Winnipeg, Man. and play their home matches at Princess Auto Stadium.

Layne becomes the first TMU player to be selected with the first overall pick and the third to be taken in the draft, joining Ameer Kinani and Jacob Carlos. Kinani was chosen with the second overall pick by Vancouver FC in 2023 and Carlos was picked 12th overall in 2022.

Layne was a dominant force in 2024 for the Bold, leading the team and finishing second in the OUA in goals scored with 10. He produced three multi-goal performances, including a hat trick against nationally-ranked Carleton in September. His goal-scoring prowess helped lead the Bold to an 8-1-3 overall record, a second-place finish in the OUA East and a semi-final appearance in the OUA playoffs.

Three of Layne's teammates also declared for this year's draft, including Michael Campoli, Dante Ferraro and Justin Santos. 

Founded in 2017, the Canadian Premier League (CPL) is Canada's premier national soccer league, with eight teams in five different provinces.