Caputo (left) enters third League One season, McCleod (right) joins on first professional deal | Image Credit: Lexington SC, VCU Athletics
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - One Knoxville SC today announced it has signed 24-year-old midfielder Abel Caputo and 22-year-old defender Scott McLeod, pending league and federation approval.
A native of Caracas, Venezuela, Caputo developed in the youth systems of Spain's Levante UD and Belgium's KSV Roeselare, making his professional debut with the latter in a Challenger Pro League match in February 2020.
Caputo signed with former USL League One side Inter Miami CF in 2021, making 62 appearances with the club from 2021-23 across League One and MLS NEXT Pro play. He was an unused substitute for Inter Miami CF in an MLS regular season match against Minnesota United FC in June 2022.
Caputo made two appearances in the USL Championship with the Tampa Bay Rowdies in 2023 before spending the 2024 USL League One campaign with Lexington SC. With LSC, Caputo registered 30 appearances and four assists across all competitions.
"Abel is a very technical central midfielder with great vision who also has a competitive bite about him. He knows the league and understands his role in midfield," said Knoxville Head Coach Ian Fuller, "I'm really looking forward to working with [him], I think he can be a difference maker down the spine."
McLeod, a native of Kingston, Jamaica, joins Knoxville on his first professional contract. Since 2020, he's played collegiately at Virginia Commonwealth University. In five seasons in Richmond, McLeod made 68 appearances, recorded three goals and led the Rams to the 2023 Atlantic 10 regular season title.
McLeod has spent time with the Jamaica youth national team at the U-15 and U-17 levels. He made four appearances for Jamaica at the 2019 Concacaf U-17 Championship.
"Scott is just fresh out of college from VCU where he thrived under Dave Giffard. His trajectory and development have been on the rise, and I cannot wait to work with [him]," said Fuller. "With the ability to play both sides as a central defender, Scott's versatility will be a massive positive."