When it looked like the Colorado Rapids were out of cards to deal in the MLS SuperDraft on Friday afternoon, they pulled a few more out of the sleeve.
In the first round alone, the club made three trades to turn the No. 8 pick, up to $312,500 in General Allocation Money (GAM) and a 2025 international roster slot into picks Nos. 4, 6 and 12 and $75,000 in 2026 GAM.
For the second straight year, sophomores and juniors were eligible for selection under new rules implemented last fall. Last year, the Rapids made use of that flexibility and brought in a player from both classes with top-five picks. They also drafted freshman Kimani Stewart-Baynes, a Generation Adidas player.
This year was no different. In the first round, during which the Rapids made five picks, the club selected a sophomore Generation Adidas forward, two junior defenders, a sophomore midfielder and another sophomore forward.
To conclude the draft, the Rapids made a second-round pick and three third-round selections. As it stands, all but two or three will immediately join the club for preseason, which begins on Jan. 11.
According to Rapids President Pádraig Smith, the club hit on six of the top 10 players on its draft board.
Here’s a look at the 2025 SuperDraft class for the Rapids:
Round 1
No. 4 — Alex Harris, F, so., Cornell: The second-to-last Generation Adidas player off the board, Harris can score goals with the best of them. In two years at Cornell, he had 31 goals and nine assists while converting eight of nine penalties.
As a freshman, he was unanimously voted Ivy League rookie of the year. This season, he was one of two sophomores in the country to be named a MAC Hermann Award semifinalist.
“He knows where the ball is going to go and he does everything in his power to get to that spot,” Smith said. “He’s a little menace, his work rate is terrific and he’s got to be a nightmare to defend.”
He ranked second in the nation in goals and points per game behind Akron senior Emil Jaaskelainen (taken seventh overall).
No. 6 — Matthew Senanou, D, jr., Xavier: The Rapids continued their trend of going after big defenders.
Senanou, a 6-foot-4, 214-pound junior, was the anchor of a defense that gave up just more than a goal per game this season.
The club was enamored with his personality, too. In his interview with the club, Smith said Senanou brought up how much of a fan he is of former Rapids center back Moïse Bombito — the Rapids’ third overall pick in 2023 who sold for an MLS-record $7.7 million this summer — and how he dreams of a similar career path. Smith has said in the past that Bombito’s pre-draft interview was the best he’d ever had. Senanou’s is now in that conversation.
No. 12 — Efetobo Aror, M, so., Portland: Aror played 10 games in 2024 before a torn meniscus cost him the rest of his season. A defensive midfielder by nature, he scored one goal before the November injury and notched an assist.
The injury and his time with a smaller-caliber program in Portland may have caused him to drop in the draft, but Smith felt he had to get a move done at the time to get the No. 12 pick and ultimately Aror.
“Based on our scouts’ opinions and the work they had done, Aror was the standout six (rather than top pick Manu Duah),” Smith said. “You look at the video and just the explosiveness, the ability on the ball and the profile, it was a no-brainer for us.”
In a trade with Austin FC, the Rapids gave up a 2025 international roster slot in exchange for the pick and $75,000 in 2026 GAM.
No. 16 — Sydney Wathuta, F, so., Vermont: With the ball at his feet, 2024 NCAA national champion Sydney Wathuta can do it all. In the national semifinal against DU, Wathuta gave the Pioneers’ defense fits.
He can carry the ball while waiting for plays to develop, make turns in tight areas to free up space and find passes the recipient sometimes may not even know was there.
The ultimate play-maker, Wathuta ranked second in the nation with 14 assists this year to go with a goal.
No. 26 — Josh Copeland, M, so., Detroit Mercy: Another small-school standout, Copeland was a lock to be selected by the Rapids. The club had been in discussions with the Michigan native for “quite some time” before the draft and promised to pick him.
While the sophomore doesn’t have accolades or stats that jump off the page — he recorded three goals and five assists in 17 games this year — the Rapids see something in the 6-foot-3 midfielder they think they can build on.
Round 2
No. 38 — Charlie Harper, D, jr., North Carolina: Harper had another pre-draft interview that left Smith impressed.
Not exactly a surprise given his story: Born in Melbourne, Australia, Harper attended high school in Japan and moved to the U.S. to play college soccer. His UNC biography says he holds citizenship in Australia, Japan and England. Oh, and he’s fluent in Japanese.
According to Smith, he’s very good with both feet and has a solid 6-foot-2 frame. He scored one goal in 2024.
Round 3
No. 62 — Donavan Phillip, M/F, so., NC State: An in-state rival of Harper, Phillip scored six goals and dished out four assists in 2024. The Saint Lucia native would count as an international on the roster.
At this stage, Smith said it’s not certain whether Phillip will return to college or join the team come January, but the club wants the latter.
No. 68 — Shawn Smart, D, Las Vegas Lights: Smart was the only player selected who is not coming from a college. The Las Vegas Lights, a USL Championship team, has the 20-year-old under contract through the 2025 season, meaning the Rapids drafted Smart’s MLS rights and the right of first refusal once his contract ends.
In 33 games last year with the Lights, Smart notched two goals and an assist on the way to the Western Conference final, where they lost to eventual champions Colorado Springs.
Smart won’t join the Rapids this year, but Smith said he likes it that way. With a revolving door of defenders coming and going, the club thinks it’s best for a player like Smart to continue developing and getting USL Championship-level experience.
No. 75 — Matthew Van Horn, F, so., Georgetown: A fun fact: Van Horn is native to North Pole, Alaska.
The 6-foot sophomore, who scored six goals and had three assists with Georgetown in 2024, is the only sure-fire player to return to school for at least another year.
Another fun fact: His Hoyas were seeded fourth in the NCAA Tournament this year and were upset by Phillip’s unranked Wolfpack in the second round.
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