Mount St. Mary’s standout Hayden McKay selected No. 4 overall by Chicago Hounds in MLR Draft
Mount St. Mary’s rugby standout Hayden McKay is taking the next step toward professional rugby.
The Chicago Hounds selected McKay with the fourth overall pick in the first round of the 2026 Major League Rugby College Draft on Thursday, making the Mountaineers standout one of the first players off the board.
McKay joins the defending Major League Rugby champions after developing into an All-American, national champion and team captain during his career at Mount St. Mary’s.
The selection also gives the Mount a player drafted by Chicago for the second consecutive year.
McKay goes No. 4 overall
McKay was selected after Life University flanker Logan Ballinger went No. 1 overall to Old Glory DC, California-Berkeley scrumhalf Solomon Williams went second to the Seattle Seawolves and Cal Poly center Coby Baker went third to the California Legion.
Chicago then used the fourth pick on McKay, who offers versatility at hooker and flanker.
The official Major League Rugby prospect profile lists McKay at 5-foot-10 and 210 pounds and identifies him as a fifth-year player from Auckland, New Zealand. He has also been part of the USA U23 player pool and earned MVP recognition with the USA U20 program.
McKay has made his ambitions beyond college rugby clear. His stated long-term goal is to represent the United States at the highest level.
A decorated career at the Mount
Chicago is getting much more than an intriguing prospect.
McKay became one of the central figures in the growth of Mount St. Mary’s rugby.
He helped the Mountaineers capture a CRC National 7s Championship and developed into a consistent scoring threat during 15s competition. During his most recent 15s season, McKay scored 11 tries and recorded hat tricks against Penn State and St. Thomas.
His impact was not limited to scoring.
McKay earned D1A All-American honors following the 2024-25 season and was named Second Team All-Rugby East. Mount St. Mary’s credited his defense as a significant part of his success that season, when he also recorded three tries.
His national reputation continued to grow. Americas Rugby News lists McKay as a CRAA All-American in 2024, 2025 and 2026 and a Rudy Scholz Award nominee in both 2024 and 2026. The Scholz Award recognizes the top player in American men’s collegiate rugby.
McKay also brought international experience to Emmitsburg after competing with the United States U20 and U23 programs.
That combination of production, defensive ability, versatility and international experience helped make McKay one of the premier prospects available in the draft.
Leadership helped define McKay’s Mount career
McKay’s value to Mount St. Mary’s went beyond his individual accolades.
He captained the Mountaineers and became an important leader within head coach Jay Myles’ program.
Myles praised McKay’s character, work ethic and leadership following the draft, saying those qualities helped establish the standard within the Mount program over the last four years.
That leadership could prove valuable as McKay attempts to make the transition from college rugby to the professional game.
His versatility should help as well.
While Major League Rugby officially listed McKay as a hooker/flanker on draft night, his experience extends beyond one position. Pre-draft analysis identified him as one of the stronger hooker prospects available while noting his ability to play flanker and even contribute in the midfield during his college career.
Mount-to-Chicago pipeline continues
McKay also continues a developing connection between Mount St. Mary’s and the Chicago Hounds.
Chicago selected Mountaineers player Bastian Brunello in the 2025 MLR Draft. McKay’s selection gives Mount St. Mary’s a Chicago draft choice in consecutive years.
This time, however, the Hounds invested one of the highest selections in the entire draft.
McKay was the first hooker/front-row option selected and one of only four players chosen before the end of the opening group of picks.
He will also enter an organization coming off a championship season.
Chicago captured its first MLR championship in 2026 and plays its home matches at SeatGeek Stadium in Bridgeview, Illinois. The Hounds have quickly developed into one of Major League Rugby’s leading clubs.
For McKay, that means the transition from a successful college program comes with an opportunity to join the defending champions.
Another milestone for Mount rugby
McKay’s selection is also another significant accomplishment for a Mount St. Mary’s rugby program that continues establishing itself on the national level.
Having a player selected fourth overall provides another recruiting and development point for the Mountaineers: players can come to Emmitsburg, compete for championships, earn national honors and receive opportunities to continue into professional rugby.
Mount St. Mary’s will now turn toward its 2026-27 season without one of the program’s longtime leaders.
The Mountaineers begin their 15s schedule Sept. 5 against Davenport before playing their home opener Sept. 26 against Mary Washington.
McKay, meanwhile, will begin the next chapter of his rugby career with the defending Major League Rugby champions.
MSB Take
This is a major accomplishment for both Hayden McKay and Mount St. Mary’s.
Being drafted is impressive. Being selected fourth overall means something more. Chicago had an opportunity to select almost anyone in the collegiate player pool and decided McKay was one of the best prospects available.
His résumé explains why.
McKay was an All-American, national champion, captain, productive try scorer and United States age-group representative. More importantly for the professional level, he offers positional versatility and has built a reputation for his defense and work rate in addition to his scoring ability.
For Mount St. Mary’s, this is exactly the type of story that shows why Maryland Sports Blog covers programs beyond the state’s biggest Division I sports.
There is legitimate high-level talent competing throughout Maryland college athletics, and McKay is another example. A player developed in Emmitsburg is now the No. 4 overall selection in a professional sports league.
The fact that Chicago has drafted a Mount player in consecutive years is also worth watching. One selection can be an individual success story. Multiple selections begin establishing a track record for a program.
Now McKay gets an opportunity with the defending MLR champions.
If his production and leadership at the Mount translate to professional rugby, the fourth overall pick may only be the beginning of his story.
