Meet The 2025 MLR Draft's First Overall Pick: Will Sherman

There was a sense of circularity to Will Sherman’s life when he was picked first overall in the 2025 Major League Rugby College Draft by Anthem RC.
When he learned the news, he sat in the Sydney apartment he currently calls home. It is the same city his father, Wade, visited as a 14-year-old and returned home obsessed with rugby. The perfect setting for Sherman to find out his long-held dream of becoming a professional will come true in 2026.

“Being honest with you, I didn’t really sleep the night before,” the UCLA alumni recalled from the night before the Draft. “It was a lot of tossing and turning.
“But that’s what it’s all about. That’s why we love playing sports: those butterflies the night before and the anticipation. 
“I live for those kinds of moments, and I just tried to take it in. I was okay losing a little sleep over that one.”

It was 14 years ago that Sherman first remembers picking up a rugby ball. Born and raised in Salt Lake City, the 22-year-old’s first passion was for ice hockey, but it was at East High that he truly fell in love with the sport. 
First, it was the brotherhood and unity created within the squad that drew him in. However, by the time senior year rolled around, Sherman knew he had developed into a promising player, and UCLA was the perfect proving ground to nurture that potential. As well as escape the harsh Utah winters.

He arrived in Los Angeles at the same time as the current head coach, Harry Bennett, who has overseen drastic changes within the program and turned the Bruins into genuine championship contenders.
By the end of his time with UCLA, Sherman was not only the number one pick in the MLR Draft. He had also become a Collegiate All-American, a USA Rugby U23 vice-captain, and had received Players’ Player and Forward of the Year recognition from his college side.

He also became his college’s second first overall pick in the Draft as he followed in the footsteps of 2021 draftee Eric Naposki. It is a feat no other school has achieved to date.
There is nothing but admiration for UCLA when Sherman speaks. It is the place that the 22-year-old credits in its entirety for helping him become one of the USA’s top prospects.

“I came in as a freshman, and I was pretty underdeveloped physically,” Sherman said. “I wasn’t an amazing player. I recognized that and I was honest with myself about that.
“I was committed to putting on a lot of weight. I’ve always had a bigger frame, but I’d never really filled out. In my freshman year, I knew I was a bit smaller, and I was given the opportunity to play in the First XV, which was very intimidating.
“I definitely credit my teammates and coaches who gave me the belief and inspired me to put on weight, get in the gym to get bigger and stronger and faster, and learn more about the game. I really took full advantage of that.

 “I got into the gym, sacrificed nights out, put my best foot forward, and continued to build my confidence. After getting a season under my belt, I started to see a lot of improvement.
“Sophomore year was a big year for me. I had a good season. I got recognition within the UCLA rugby team and then got picked for the USA U20s. That solidified where my hard work was taking me.
“I just continued to work hard, got bigger each year, and just tried to focus on taking it month by month, and tried to always seek that one per cent improvement every day.”

This summer, Sherman has already gained a glimpse of what life will be like at Anthem in 2026. 
Touring South Africa with a USA U23s side coached by Anthem’s head coach, Agustin Cavalieri, he got an idea of what it would be like playing in the Argentine forward pack.
A durable and hard-working forward, Sherman is already excited for what the future can hold in North Carolina when the time comes to don light blue at American Legion Memorial Stadium.

“He helped me develop a lot over just those three weeks,” Sherman said. “That’s a big reason why I’m so excited about next year, because he’s a tremendous coach and he’s really good at building those player relationships.
“His technical skills around the set-piece – his knowledge is just elite. That has been something that really clicked in my brain when I went to South Africa, and something I really enjoyed.”
Now on the final leg of a whirlwind conclusion to his time at UCLA, Sherman has just concluded the Australian club rugby season with Randwick. 

A storied Sydney club, Sherman has hosted several games at a venue that has seen numerous rugby stars wear their famous green jersey over the years, including David Campese, George Gregan, Drew Mitchell, Matt Giteau, and current Chicago Hounds head coach Chris Latham. 

Sherman’s time at the club was aided by their Director of Rugby, Matthew Bowman, and Wallabies legend, Simon Poidevin. They have introduced the 22-year-old to the fast-paced style of rugby that is played at the Coogee Oval and developed in an entirely new environment altogether, far flung from his usual proving grounds in Los Angeles and Salt Lake City. 

Now with the season over, Sherman is going to take his time exploring Australia before finally boarding a plane home and beginning preparations for his debut MLR campaign.
There is much for him to look forward to. Whether it is packing down with fellow number one overall Draft pick Sam Golla or learning more from Cavalieri, at this moment or time, anything feels possible.

“From where I started as a freshman to where I finished in June as a senior, the improvement has been tremendous, and it goes to show that I have a high ceiling as a player,” Sherman said. 
“I’m just starting to get really excited about what potential I have and what I can do as a player leading up to this next MLR season and then putting my best foot forward to become an Eagle one day.”