2026 MLR Draft: Seawolves Take Scrumhalf, Winger, Lock in Five-Team Affair
Unlike the chaotic mess of the 2025 off-season, when the league lost team after team unexpectedly, the one departure for the league this year - Anthem Rugby Carolina - was rather more expected. The side had been a three-year investment between World Rugby, the USA Eagles, and MLR, and once its third year ran out, the team simply wasn’t continued. It’s unclear if there are going to be five teams in 2027 or a much less awkward six (there are reportedly interested parties, but no concrete timetable I am aware of), but given that the US is hosting the Men’s Rugby World Cup in 2031 and the Women’s Rugby World Cup in 2033, the league is likely to continue on in some form until at least the former date.
The Seattle Seawolves will be competing next year, however that is structured, and so will the New England Free Jacks, Chicago Hounds, California Legion, and Old Glory DC. All five of these teams drafted outgoing college players in the 2026 MLR draft on Thursday, with a draft order based first on how deep the team made it in the 2026 playoffs (teams that bounced in the semifinals drafting before teams that made the MLR final) and secondly based on 2026 regular season record.
Because Anthem, who finished last, was out - and because New England had forfeited their first round pick of 2026 to Anthem in Oct. 2025 - the Seawolves drafted second in the first round behind only Old Glory. Seattle drafted third in the other two rounds, giving them slate consisting of the no. 2, no. 7, and no. 12 overall picks.
Pick 1.2: Solomon Williams - Scrumhalf - University of California, Berkeley - 5-8, 180 pounds.
The Seawolves are no strangers to recent draftees from the Golden Bears, with their 2025 second round pick going to tighthead prop Charlie Walsh from that university.
Solomon Williams, who some projected to go first overall but who fell to second as the Flags drafted flanker Logan Ballinger, has quite the pedrigree of stellar play in college. He is incredibly fond of taps and fast, heads-up play while also having accuracy with his boot and with his passes and possessing a level of explosiveness that can stun unsuspecting opponents. When it comes to his underlying physical abilities, he is incredibly quick: this means fast breaks through lines in the center of the pitch, evading would-be tacklers, and split-second offloads and chips to his teammates.
Seahawks Continue Locking Up Cornerstones, Extend Leonard Williams on Three-Year, $90 Million Deal
For the second time in as many weeks, the Seattle Seahawks have opened up the checkbook to secure one of their biggest stars on a lucrative long-term extension, this time shifting their focus back to the trenches on defense.
According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, after handing cornerback Devon Witherspoon a record-setting extension on August 17, the Seahawks have agreed to terms with All-Pro defensive tackle Leonard Williams on a three-year, $90 million contract. The deal reportedly features $56 million in guarantees and includes $30 million per year in new money, tying him with Buccaneers defensive tackle Vita Vea for the fifth-most in the league in APY at the position.
In late July, Williams indicated that the Seahawks had opened up talks with his representatives, but he wasn’t putting too much thought into the situation at the time with his attention on getting ready for the upcoming season regardless of his contract situation.
“There's been few conversations, but nothing set in stone,” Williams told reporters. “We're all focused on the season starting right now, and we know that that's towards the end of the season. We have time to figure that out when the time comes.”
Xaivian Lee Commits to Gonzaga, Projects to Be Starting Point Guard
At long last, with just over two months until their first regular season game, the Gonzaga Bulldogs have received a full roster’s worth of commitments for the 2026-27 season.
On Wednesday night, Florida transfer Xaivian Lee announced his commitment to the Zags and is slated to be the team’s starting point guard for his fifth collegiate season. The 6-3 Canadian is currently eligible after joining a California lawsuit – which also included another GU point guard target, Donovan Dent – and being granted a temporary restraining order against the NCAA.
Like another fifth-year Bulldogs backcourt commit, Javon Bennett, Lee could become ineligible for a period if the NCAA stays the California case. But for now, he is headed to Spokane.
Highlighting Cougars Noteworthy Returners for 2026 Football Season
With plenty being said about who stayed and who left during the Washington State Cougars’ busy offseason, Emerald City Spectrum is highlighting players who followed Jimmy Rogers to Pullman and decided to stay with the program to play for Kirby Moore in the 2026 season.
When Rogers left South Dakota State to take over at Washington State, several former Jackrabbits followed him to the Palouse. After Rogers left Washington State for Iowa State following just one season, those players were faced with another decision about their futures.
Instead of entering the transfer portal again, many of those players chose to remain with the Cougars and become part of Moore’s first roster in Pullman.
Here are the former South Dakota State players who followed Rogers to Washington State and remain on the Cougs’ roster, along with another Rogers-era transfer who decided to stay heading into 2026:
Kirby Vorhees
Running back Kirby Vorhees followed Rogers from South Dakota State to Washington State and quickly became one of the Cougars’ most productive offensive players out of the backfield last season.
In his first season in Pullman, Vorhees finished the 2025 season with 576 rushing yards and five touchdowns on 138 carries. He also contributed in the passing game with 19 receptions for 125 yards, finishing with more than 700 total yards from scrimmage.
'There Is No Way I'm Not Scoring Goals:' Dejan Joveljić Confident For Sounders Tenure
RENTON, Wash. — Longtime Seattle Sounders head coach Brian Schmetzer has always maintained his vision of the ideal Sounder.
"Gritty" is a common word of choice for the on-pitch product, but there's another layer. Schmetzer has gone after players who don't draw attention to themselves, and certainly don't need to be recognized when they, say, go out to dinner with their families.
From all appearances, Seattle's newest starting striker fits the bill.
27-year-old Dejan Joveljić, Sporting Kansas City's leading scorer for the last two years and 2024 MLS Cup champion with the LA Galaxy, was formally introduced by the team on Tuesday at its facility in Renton. The moment came three days after Fabrizio Romano first reported the team was buying Joveljić for $6 million, putting an end to a five-year drought of summer transfer-window moves.
Joveljić, known by the nickname "Deki," fits Schmetzer's bill by keeping life "simple." He holds a FIDE ranking of over 2200 in chess and plays every day. He's also scored 60 MLS goals in five and a half seasons.
"Simple life, family, chess, thinking about soccer and waiting (for the) weekend for the games," Joveljić said.
When he starts against the Chicago Fire this Saturday, according to Schmetzer on Tuesday, fans will see Joveljić's game is anything but simple. The Serbian national formerly of the Serbian SuperLiga's Red Star and Bundesliga side Eintracht Frankfurt has scored 60 MLS goals in five-and-a-half seasons.
"I'm here to bring goals, and help win the game," Joveljić said. "I can score with left, right, head, doesn't matter. If Seattle is playing the way they played the last couple of years, I'm going to score a lot of goals," Joveljić said.
As far as coming to the only club to win the U.S. Open Cup, the MLS Cup, Leagues Cup and the Concacaf Champions Cup, Joveljić knew what he was getting with the Sounders.
"When you say Seattle, you mean winning," Joveljić said. "When everyone is healthy, this team is scary… we are finally in the same colors."
Washington State Names Caiden Pinnick Starting Quarterback
Washington State has its starting quarterback for the 2026 season.
The Cougars have named UC Davis transfer Caden Pinnick the starter ahead of their season opener against the Washington Huskies. Pinnick entered fall camp as the favorite to win the job and ultimately beat out returning quarterbacks Julian Dugger and Owen Eshelman.
For Washington State, the decision gives the Cougars some clarity at one of the most important positions on the roster heading into the start of the Kirby Moore era.
As a redshirt freshman at UC Davis, Pinnick completed 69.6% of his passes for 3,206 yards, 32 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions. Those numbers show the type of production Washington State is hoping to get from its new quarterback.
Point Guard Position Remains Question Mark for Gonzaga as Regular Season Approaches
Although the Gonzaga Bulldogs have several committed players capable of playing the position, the status of the Zags’ starting point guard for the 2026-27 season is far from settled.
One of the Zags’ biggest ‘5-in-5’ targets, UCLA transfer Donovan Dent, committed to LSU on Friday. He is one of the best true point guards in the country, but will head to New Orleans, not Spokane, for his fifth and final collegiate season. Also on Friday, the Tenth Circuit granted the NCAA’s stay request in Wisne v. NCAA, which includes the Colorado and Ohio lawsuits that were previously cleared, the latter involving Bulldog transfer Javon Bennett.
So Bennett, a 5-10 point guard from Dayton, who was expected to factor into GU’s point guard situation, is currently ineligible. And although Theo Lawson of the Spokesman-Review reported that 23-year-old Nathan De Sousa plans to arrive in Spokane this week, the French point guard is still awaiting approval for eligibility after committing to Gonzaga in June.
So where do the Zags go from here, still searching for a definitive answer at lead guard?
Miller Start Goes South, Mariners Lose 19-2 to Cubs
Bryce Miller’s previous start had become, for a given and quite load-bearing definition of “worst”, the worst loss in Mariners history, a 22-0 thrashing that began to be as humorous as it was maddening.
Going by that same run differential metric, Sunday was the fourth worst loss in team history, only behind their Milwaukee calamity, a 21-1 loss in Houston in 2019, and a 20-3 loss in Detroit back in 1993. It became the worst run differential ever in a Mariners home game, beating out three 16-1 losses.
The score was 19-2. Both teams left this series disappointed. Seattle, despite winning two out of three, had long since run out of games to punt, whereas the Cubs outscored their opponents 28-13 and lost the series.
“Today ended up similar to the other day, just kinda got out of hand, and those are tough ones,” said M’s skipper Dan Wilson. “Our team has shown the ability to flush them.”
While it is true that these awful losses haven’t set off any massive avalanches of failure, they haven’t been able to build any momentum from their successes, either. That’s why Sunday’s loss dropped them to 62-69, a record that would knock them out of commission in a normal year but one that barely keeps them afloat in the chase for the worst AL West since 1994, when the best team at the time of the strike was the 52-62 Texas Rangers.
Freshman Edge Ramzak Fruean Makes More Impressions at Huskies Mock Game
While it’s important to avoid reading too much into the Washington Huskies’ “mock game” on Saturday, true freshman edge Ramzak Fruean once again looked like a future star.
By future, we mean when UW kicks off the season Sept. 6 against Washington State in the Apple Cup. As has been the case for much of fall camp, Fruean once again proved difficult to contain on Saturday. He broke through for, unofficially, 2½ touch sacks against UW’s offense in a scrimmage that served as a dress rehearsal for the season.
After the mock game, head coach Jedd Fisch confirmed Fruean will become Washington’s third true freshman starter, joining defensive lineman Derek Colman-Brusa and left tackle Kodi Greene.
Takeaways: Reign Survive for Draw in Kansas City
The Seattle Reign bounced back from a midweek loss with a 1-1 draw at defending NWSL Shield-winner Kansas City Current on Saturday afternoon, defending chance after chance to split the points.
The result, Seattle's first at Kansas City since 2021, moves the eighth-place Reign to 8-8-4, two points ahead of the Houston Dash with 10 games remaining. Getting the point was monumental, as Seattle was left preserving the 1-0 advantage it picked up off an early Kayla Sharples own-goal forced by dangerous service from Seattle defender Sofia Huerta.
By the end of KC's onslaught, however, the Reign didn't concede a goal in the run of play. Only when striker Mia Fishel's elbow crept up to make contact with a Current pass in the box in the 51st did Seattle concede a goal off a penalty from star midfielder Debinha.
From there, Seattle defended for its life as defensive fixtures Jordyn Bugg (five tackles), Phoebe McClernon (six tackles) and Madison Curry (eight tackles) seemed to only get stronger as the game went on. By the end, KC ended up dwarfing Seattle's 0.7 expected goals with 3.3, but had to split the points.
Reign head coach Laura Harvey knew what type of effort she was going to need from her young team without star midfielder Sam Meza (thigh) for a third straight game, and she got it.
"We know coming here is really difficult," Harvey said postgame. "There's been moments this season and last season where I think some of our inexperience has shown. And I think tonight we looked like an experienced team at times.
"And look. If you'd have said to me before the game started, 'Would you take a point on the road in Kansas?' Probably."
WATCH: Sounders Snap Eight-Game Losing Streak, Draw with Cincinnati Despite Rotated Team
Emerald City Spectrum reporter Qasim Ali breaks down the Seattle Sounders’ 1-1 draw at FC Cincinnati on Saturday night.
The result marked the end of a franchise-worst eight-game MLS losing streak as Kalani Kossa-Rienzi bagged the equalizer in the 83rd minute off service from Albert Rusnak. Seattle also managed to split the points with a heavily rotated squad that saw Stuart Hawkins and Ryan Sailor notch 90-minute games while winger Paul Rothrock wore the captain’s armband for the first time.
Sounders to Sign Kansas City Star Striker Dejan Joveljić in $6 Million Deal
The Seattle Sounders were sick of answering for their lack of midseason signings, and they put the criticism to rest on Saturday evening.
GM Craig Waibel and company reportedly agreed to sign Sporting Kansas City star striker Dejan Joveljić for $6 million, according to Fabrizio Romano and later confirmed by other sources. The 27-year-old Serbian was in his second season at KC after four successful years with the LA Galaxy, culminating in a 2024 MLS Cup win.
The move signals Seattle’s first summer signing since 2021, with the transfer window set to close on Sept. 2. In the midst of a record MLS eight-game losing streak, head coach Brian Schmetzer had repeatedly hinted at the Sounders having a move in the works.
That purported move apparently came to fruition on Saturday with the team on the road in Cincinnati, picking up a draw for its first points in eight fixtures. Seattle is 7-9-4 and in 11th place in the Western Conference — two points behind ninth-place Portland.
As for Joveljić, he’s scored 60 goals in five and a half MLS campaigns and brings instant offense to the second-least productive offense in the league. Seattle’s striker pairing of Danny Musovski and Osaze De Rosario has combined for just three MLS goals in 21 games while designated player Jordan Morris has missed large chunks of the season injured as his year-to-year production craters from all-time-leading-scorer territory.
Schmetzer has been openly challenging one of the strikers to make the starting job their own, to no avail on an offense that’s struggling overall.
To make way for the new DP, who's making a listed wage of $3 million according to Capology, Niko Moreno of Sounder at Heart reported the team extended DP Albert Rusnák by two-and-a-half years to move him out of a DP spot. If that report holds, Seattle’s three DP spots will be occupied by Joveljić, Morris (set to return in the next month) and injured winger Pedro de la Vega (out for the season, quad).
Rusnák’s deal, which carried a club option next season, has him carrying a cap hit of nearly $2.7 million this season, per Spotrac.com.
The deal also puts to use the funds Seattle has generated by its many outbound transfers of young players. Midfield Obed Vargas fetched $3 million from Atletico Madrid before the season while Georgi Minoungou (Colorado Rapids) and Danny Leyva (Nexaca) also pulled in $3 combined.
Seahawks Lose Jake Bobo to ‘Serious’ Knee Injury During Joint Practice With Titans
From team bonding to the opportunity to receive valuable, yet controlled reps against starters from another team, joint practices offer plenty of benefits for NFL teams. But as the Seattle Seahawks learned the hard way on Friday, they can also come with unexpected costs on the injury front.
Per Gregg Bell of the Tacoma News Tribune, Seahawks veteran receiver Jake Bobo landed awkwardly while trying to make a contested catch while covered by one of Tennessee’s linebackers, suffering a “bad looking” leg injury. The team ended up carting him off the field, always an ominous sign, and coach Mike Macdonald indicated the the injury looked to be a significant one for the fourth-year wideout after practice concluded.
“Our heart goes out to Jake Bobo,” Macdonald said, confirming that players from both teams took a knee to say a prayer for Bobo after the injury happened. “It seems like it’s going to be a serious knee [injury]. We’re going to get it imaged, but early returns, it looks like a long-term injury, so that’s unfortunate.”
In addition, as reported by Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times, starting right tackle Abraham Lucas walked off the field with trainers, though it appears that was for cramping and not due to an actual injury.
Washington State Football Feels Impact of New Five-for-Five Rule
With the NCAA’s new five-for-five eligibility rule changing the way college basketball teams approach recruiting and roster management, its effects are beginning to reach college football as well. Washington State is now navigating the rule as it looks to add another familiar face to its defensive line ahead of the 2026 season.
According to CougFan.com, Washington State is going through the process of adding defensive lineman Soni Finau to its roster. Finau, a Cal Poly transfer, played for the Cougars during the 2025 season after transferring from Cal Poly.
During his time in Pullman, Finau made an impact on the defensive side of the ball, recording 12 tackles, including 3.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks. If he is cleared to return, Finau would provide the Cougars with another experienced option along the defensive interior.
Finau would join a defensive tackle group that already includes Kaden Beatty, Paul Hudson, Jirah Leaupepetele, Damarjhe Lewis, and Josh Wedel. Adding a player who was in the rotation last season could give Washington State some valuable depth as the season approaches.
WATCH: Sounders, Reign Drop Midweek Matches; Rave Green Lose Eighth Straight
The Seattle Sounders and Seattle Reign both lost 2-1 on Wednesday, with the Sounders falling to MLS foe Austin FC at Lumen Field and the Reign losing to NWSL side Racing Louisville on the road.
The Sounders (7-9-3) dropped their franchise-record eighth MLS game in a row, falling to 12th in the Western Conference. Though young center back Stuart Hawkins scored late, the Rave Green were unable to cope with a rotated Austin team focused on its Leagues Cup run despite narrowly winning the expected-goal battle and outshooting the visitors.
Sounders head coach Brian Schmetzer backed the effort his injury-riddled team is putting in during this streak, but watched as All-Star center back Jackson Ragen exited the game early with a hyperextended knee. Schmetzer clarified that Ragen’s removal was precautionary.
At any rate, Seattle is now missing Cristian Roldan, Pedro de la Vega, Yeimar, Paul Arriola, Ragen, Jesus Ferreira and Jordan Morris with a trip to FC Cincinnati looming on Saturday. Cristian Roldan and Morris could make a return by that fixture.
As for the Reign (8-8-3), Wednesday marked another lost lead as Seattle couldn’t defend the advantage generated by leading scorer Maddie Mercado’s (seven goals in 2026) early goal. Instead, Louisville’s USWNT team star Emma Sears ran riot for a brace, scoring two goals against the run of play as Laura Harvey’s squad failed to deliver on a large xG night for the second game in a row.
The Reign, who suffered just their second loss since the June World Cup break, will also play again on Saturday as they head to defending Shield-winning Kansas City.
Huskies Receiver Christian Moss’ Long Road Leads to Starting Job at Washington
Christian Moss’ trip to the University of Washington began with the hiring of an attorney.
A common part of one’s journey in modern college football, Moss and his lawyer, Darren Heitner, appealed a decision by the NCAA to deny Moss an extra season of eligibility after he missed all of 2023 with a hand injury. He won, and Huskies receivers coach Kevin Cummings wasted no time convincing the 6-3, 205-pound X receiver to take a trip from Atlanta to Seattle after the injury waiver was granted.
“Literally an hour into me getting it, I got the call from KC and set up a visit, and everything just worked out,” Moss said. “… Coach Fisch has a lot of good people in the building and the vision. They have a really good quarterback coming back, so it just felt like home as soon as I got on campus.”
Report: Seahawks to Sign Former All-Pro CB Trevon Diggs
It appears the Seattle Seahawks are not yet satisfied with their depth at the cornerback position. Even with the news of them intending to sign Terrion Arnold, a former first round pick recently cut by the Lions due to ongoing legal issues, Seattle decided to pull the trigger adding another noteworthy veteran name to their secondary.
As reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter, after working out for the team on Tuesday, the Seahawks have agreed to terms on a one-year deal with former Cowboys All-Pro cornerback Trevon Diggs. The team has yet to officially announce the deal, but is expected to do so before making the trip to Nashville for joint practices with the Titans.
Facing eight felony charges for an incident stemming from February in Tampa, Florida, the Arnold situation is still unresolved, with reports indicating that he will be heading to the Commissioner’s Exempt List whenever he signs. Even if he is eventually cleared for the Seahawks, it’s highly likely he won’t suit up anytime soon, as his next court date isn’t until October 5. This makes it far less pressing to sign him, and the team may wait until after the cut down date later this month to do so.
'Everything's On the Table:' Sounders' Schmetzer May Need Some Outside Help
Brian Schmetzer seemed a tad impatient.
After a 2-0 loss to the Vancouver Whitecaps on Sunday, the longtime Seattle Sounders coach fielded many of the same questions he has been dealt over the franchise-worst seven-game MLS losing streak his team is enduring. Themes varied from a stagnant attack that has posted 20 goals in 18 games to the concession of a late indirect free kick that rubbed salt in the wound. And of course, Schmetzer was asked whether he needs help during this current summer transfer window from GM Craig Waibel and majority owner Adrian Hanauer.
Schmetzer, ever the company man with his ties to the Sounders dating back to the 80s, has typically stood pat on those questions.
On Sunday, he began to crack.
"As far as Craig and Adrian and feeling pressure, yeah, they feel it," Schmetzer said. "I don't need to say anything."
He then went on to challenge the media present at Tuesday's training session ahead of Wednesday’s duel with Austin FC on the topic. When asked whether he was surprised at the lack of summer signings, Schmetzer said, "Maybe stuff hasn't been leaked out yet. Maybe you guys aren't doing your job. So maybe you guys need to dig a little deeper."
The team at Sounder at Heart has reported on talks the Sounders have been in with prospects like Danish striker Casper Tengstedt, but so far there hasn't been a particular move that's come close to fruition. Whether Schmetzer was bluffing or hinting at a future present for his lineup on his Tuesday birthday remains to be seen.
For now, Jeremiah Oshan of Sounder at Heart shared on Bluesky that his sources within the team confirmed "we are close" on some kind of move, so Schmetzer may actually be hinting something soon.
‘Long Time Coming': Devon Witherspoon All Smiles After Seahawks Star Signs Historic Extension
Following a long, drawn out series of negotiations, it wouldn’t have been a surprise if Devon Witherspoon felt like the weight of the world had come off of his shoulders after officially signing a historic four-year, $132 million extension with the Seattle Seahawks on Monday afternoon.
However, as he maintained weeks earlier when asked for thoughts on his contract situation, while he acknowledged on Monday that his agent kept him up to date every step of the way, Witherspoon reiterated that keeping his mind on football eased the process. Some players would have chosen to hold out or “hold in,” being in attendance for training camp without actually participating until the ink dried on a new contract, but he didn’t want the situation to hinder his preparation at all for the upcoming season.
Not one to feel the pressure regardless of circumstances, whether on his rookie contract or making more money than any cornerback before him, a smiling Witherspoon thanked his Seahawk teammates for making it easy to stay focused on the task at hand on the field during camp while the front office and his representation took care business behind the scenes.
“It was easy,” Witherspoon said following Monday’s practice. “Like I say, when you come in and you come to work with guys like this, like D-Hall, EJ [Ernest Jones], and Leo [Williams]. When you come to work with guys like that, it means everything. I mean, it's easy to take the pressure off you because now I know what they're about and they know what I'm about. So it's just easy to come out here and just focus on football.”
Huskies Ranked 17th in Preseason AP Top 25 Poll
The Washington Huskies football team, ranked for only one week during the 2025 season, opened at No. 17 in the Associated Press Preseason poll.
The ranking is consistent with where UW has been placed in other rankings, and two spots above its No. 17 ranking in the Coaches Poll. Phil Steele lists Washington 15th in his annual College Football Preview. Stewart Mandel of The Athletic placed Washington 15th, while On3’s Brett McMurphy tabbed UW 10th.
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