Eagles rookie Harvey moves east to Chicago Hounds for 2026 MLR season

The Chicago Hounds have landed rookie Eagles lock Brandon Harvey on a two-year deal ahead of the 2026 MLR season.

The 23-year-old rising star shifts east from the California Legion, formerly the San Diego Legion, in a move that bolsters Chicago’s second-row stocks.

Hounds forward coach Todd Dammers will look to take the North Carolina product to the next level in his third season in the MLR, which follows a collegiate stint at Cardiff Metropolitan University.

For Harvey, the move could open the door to more playing time after making 10 appearances over his first two years in the league.

“With Todd Dammers’ excellent technical coaching and playing amongst our experienced pack, we feel Brandon will go from strength to strength over the next two years,” stated Hounds General Manager Will Magie.

The Hounds ran with a second-row unit of Jonah Dietenberger, George Merrick, James Scott, Tavius Sykora-Matthess, and versatile forward Brad Tucker in 2025. The team was one of the top contenders, finishing as the fourth seed with 11 wins in 16 games. They went on to bow out to eventual champions New England in a one-point semi-final loss,

With Harvey’s Legion ending their campaign as the seventh seed and missing the playoffs in 2025, he’ll be looking to return to the postseason after 2024’s quarter-final defeat to the Seattle Seawolves.

An impressive debut season for the Chicago outfit could see him add to the one Test cap he won in 2025 against Georgia, with a spot in 2027’s Rugby World Cup squad within view. The United States’ 2031 Rugby World Cup also looms as a potential carrot for the emerging talent.