MLR Draft: Breaking Down Seawolves’ Pick, All 9 First Round Selections

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Will Sherman runs the ball during a World Rugby U20 Tournament game in Kenya. Credit: Will Sherman/Instagram [/caption]

The 2025 Major League Rugby College Draft occurred on Thursday, with all three rounds completed in the afternoon. The top nine players—there was an extra pick in the first round due to trades made before the recent contractions—are a group of guys who might have some big impacts in 2026. Some of these players are near-MLR ready, others will need to fill out their frame or work on their technique, but the draft gives us an idea of where teams are heading in next year’s MLR.

1.1. Anthem Rugby Carolina: Will Sherman, Lock, UCLA

Height: 6-5 (196 centimeters)

Weight: 235 pounds (107 kilograms)

Originally from Salt Lake City, this lock has the ability to become a true tank in North Carolina. Although he will have to fill out his frame going into the MLR, he brings a good amount of firepower and a lot of stamina to Anthem’s engine room. He’s fresh off burning up the rugby pitch in South Africa for the USA Eagles Under-23s tour, and in the MLR, Sherman looks to pair well with Sam Golla, a domestic engine room that may just lead Charlotte’s union to their first victory.

1.2. Anthem Rugby Carolina (via San Diego Legion): Campbell Robb, Hooker, CWU

Height: 6-0 (183 centimeters)

Weight: 215 pounds (98 kilograms)

Robb, a New Zealander with USA Eagles eligibility—and another man on the U23 tour in South Africa—is a man who thrives off the driving maul, directing it and then darting off to score try after try in his college career. And his accurate lineout throws are a boon to any team that’s looking for consistency. There is a good chance Robb becomes a key piece of Anthem’s game in 2026 as the side looks to improve in their third year.

1.3. Seattle Seawolves: Tia’i Vavao, Flanker, Central Washington University

Height: 6-2 (188 centimeters)

Weight: 215 pounds (98 kilograms)

Going local with the third pick of the draft, the Seattle Seawolves looked to a powerful Seattleite flanker from Central Washington University. Like his teammate Campbell Robb, Vavao toured with the USA U23s in South Africa earlier in the summer, where he played a fair amount of time as an eightman due to his good range of tackling and ball-carrying skills.

1.4. Old Glory DC: Connor Devos, Tighthead Prop, Lindenwood University

Height: 5-11 (180 centimeters)

Weight: 255 pounds (116 kilograms)

Coming from The Woodlands in Texas, Connor Devos came into the draft as one of the most powerful scrummagers on the board—so it’s no surprise he went early. Yet another top player fresh off the Eagles U23s South Africa tour, Devos’ strength will be going to the front row in the nation’s capital. It’s likely he sees notable playing time in 2026, as Old Glory looks to realize Devos’ potential to be a top MLR tighthead.

1.5. California Legion: Oscar Treacy, Wing, Central Washington University

Height: 6-3 (191 centimeters)

Weight: 205 pounds (93 kilograms)

If you look at a CWU scoresheet, the try-scorer you will see most often is Oscar Treacy. Lightning-quick enough to dart down the touchline and tall enough to reach where other wings can’t, he was selected to the USA U20s side two years in a row. He’ll be joining the merging Legion, so it’s unknown which of the San Diego and RFCLA 2025 wings (in addition to any signings or trades) he might share a roster with, but there’s a good chance he sees significant minutes in 2026.

1.6. Chicago Hounds: Elias Garza, Loosehead Prop, Life University

Height: 6-0 (183 centimeters)

Weight: 240 pounds (109 kilograms)

Bringing a quality speed to the front row, Elias Garza is a big addition to the Chicago Hounds. He’s a man who holds up his end of the scrum well while providing quick power on attack, and should provide some good depth to an already well-rounded loosehead position on the Hounds—whose 2024 first round pick, Peyton Wall, won 2025 MLR Rookie of the Year.

1.7. Utah Warriors: Jacob Ince, Center, University of Guelph

Height: 6-1 (185 centimeters)

Weight: Unknown, likely around 215 pounds (98 kilograms)

The first Canadian-eligible domestic player taken in the 2025 draft, Jacob Ince appears to be the biggest wildcard of the first round. It’s likely that, as a graduate student at Guelph over the 2024-25 year, he did not play with the team, instead only practicing, but this is unclear. I wasn’t able to find much footage that is definitively of Jacob Ince, but from what I did see, he has good speed and explosiveness.

1.8. California Legion (via Houston SaberCats): Ieremia Ieremia, Flanker, Cal Berkeley

Height: 6-5 (196 centimeters)

Weight: 265 pounds (120 pounds)

The newly-merged Legion went with something of a local (although northern California) prospect in Ieremia Ieremia, a back rower who is not only massive and strong but also fast enough to track down opposing players and go on big runs of his own. Originally playing American football, Ieremia made the switch to rugby and is the most prominent crossover athlete in this year’s draft. 

1.9. New England Free Jacks: Adam Chadwick, Hooker, Life University

Height: 5-10 (178 centimeters)

Weight: 242 pounds (110 kilograms)

As the reigning champions of 2025, New England had the last pick of the first round, but they got a really solid pick out of it. The Jacks are adding a pretty complete player in his own right, as Chadwick is an accurate thrower on the lineout and has a strong ability to barrel through opponents for contact meters.

Quick Takeaways:

The MLR draft is a big pathway for domestic talent, and a lot of these first round picks have played with age range USA Eagles sides. Anthem got two good players with even better potential, although it’s likely we see both Robb and Sherman train with the team and grow into a consistent role over the course of the 2026 season. In the West, the Warriors went with an unexpected pick in Jacob Ince, while the newly merged Legion’s picks are good contenders for Rookie of the Year, both well-developed prospects likely to see good minutes on the pitch.

For the Seawolves, it’s unclear how Tiai Vavao will fit in off the bat. Last year’s first-round Seawolf pick, Calvin Liulamaga, spent the entire season signed with the team but did not see any minutes—though he evidently played something of a role off the pitch in training. Vavao will join a flanker core of Devin Short, Huw Taylor, and Charles Elton, and given Allen Clarke’s lean towards starting veterans, we could still see those three get the majority of the playing time at flanker. But since Vavao is capable of playing eightman, there’s a very good chance Clarke puts him somewhere in the back row in at least a few 2026 matches.

And when it comes to the 2025 MLR Draft, stay tuned! The Seawolves’ two picks in the later rounds—tighthead Charlie Walsh and flyhalf Keelin Coyle—also give us an insight into what Clarke’s side is looking for going into the 2026 season.