Ole Miss soccer star CeCe Kizer went 13th overall in the pro draft

Former Ole Miss midfielder CeCe Kizer, arguably the greatest player in the soccer program’s history, will get a chance to ply her trade in the professional ranks. She was taken with the fourth pick in the second round by the Houston Dash in Thursday’s NWSL College Draft.

A consensus mid-first-round talent, she somehow slipped into the early second round before the Dash pulled the trigger. Kizer became the fourth Rebel to be drafted and the second to be drafted by Houston after Rafaelle Souza was taken by the Dash in 2014.

The Rebels’ all-time leading scorer and a two-time All-American, Kizer seems likely to slot into the central attacking midfielder position in Houston’s 4-2-3-1 system, but she could also play center forward.

She’ll have to compete for minutes with England international Rachel Daly as well as Sofia Huerta and Kealia Ohai, who have each earned a handful of caps for the United States, but her ability on the ball, vision, passing skills, and ability to finish with either foot are undeniably an asset.

It’s been a pleasure to watch her grow from someone who was supposed to be a defender to a lethal finisher and brilliant passer at the other end, and she’ll certainly be missed in Oxford, but she seems likely to succeed in Houston and become the first Rebel to have a career in the domestic women’s league that lasts more than one season.