TULSA, Okla. – FC Tulsa announced on Friday it had acquired 22-year-old defender Keegan Hughes on loan from Columbus Crew SC of Major League Soccer for the remainder of the 2023 USL Championship season. Hughes will be available for selection when Tulsa plays host to Louisville City FC on Friday night at ONEOK Field.

The 22-year-old joins FC Tulsa after making his MLS debut with Columbus earlier this season and nine MLS NEXT Pro appearances for Crew 2. A 6-foot-3 center back, Hughes played every minute of all nine matches and scored once for Crew 2 as he continued his progression in his first professional season.

“Keegan brings a lot of qualities to us at the center back position,” said FC Tulsa Head Coach Blair Gavin. “He has great size and athleticism to cover spaces defensively and is calm on the ball to help progress plays. He is a nice addition for us as we go into the final stretch of games.”

Hughes initially joined the Columbus Crew Academy in 2013 at 13 years old, ascending through the organization's ranks and picking up the Crew’s Academy Player of the Year award in 2018 along the way. On January 11, Hughes inked a Homegrown deal with the first team, becoming the 20th player in Columbus history to do so.

Prior to joining the professional ranks, Hughes competed collegiately at Stanford University where he made 73 appearances, all starts, with eight goals and seven assists. During his career with the Cardinal, Hughes earned the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year award and First-Team All-America honors in 2022, and three All-Pac-12 selections while helping the side win the Pac-12 title in 2020.