Official: Colorado Rapids sign Australian Center Back Lucas Herrington

Commerce City, CO – The Colorado Rapids have signed Australian center back Lucas Herrington on a four-year deal through 2029 and a club option for 2030. The rumor that Judgemental Jim had made us aware of for more than a month ago is finally official. Herrington is set to join the team in January of 2026. He joins the Rapids from Brisbane Roar in the Australian first division. At 18-years-old, he has already made 17 appearances, started 15 times, and scored one goal for the Australian side.

Lucas Herrington comes to Colorado with an impressive youth international career, similar to that of other recent signing Alexis Manyoma. Herrington was a part of a U-19 Australia team that finished third in the 2024 ASEAN Boys Championship. He was also a part of the U-20 Australia squad that won the 2025 AFC U-20 Asian Cup. He has made seven total appearances for the Australian Youth National Team.

We do not have a transfer fee on this publicly, though it appears to be a club record fee for Brisbane. Under $1 million would be great.

Lucas Herrington will not see the field for the Rapids in 2025. However, it would have been a long shot for the 18-year-old to get into the team anyway. After losing Chidozie Awaziem in the summer, Colorado has made three center-back signings. Herrington is the third, and would most likely fill in at the fifth center back on the roster. The other center back signings, Rob Holding and Noah Cobb, were brought in for the present. Herrington seems to be the future for Colorado.

The sudden uptick in center back signings may be an indication of a different Rapids look without Djordje. We saw the team go to a five-back look in their first match in MLS after Leagues Cup. It paid dividends for Colorado. While this could have very well been a look exclusively for a team like Minnesota, it wouldn’t hurt to be able to pull this tactic out when needed. Lucas Herrington’s arrival will allow the team to have more depth if they were to switch to a three-center-back look in 2026. He does come highly regarded given what he’s done with the youth national team.

Even without a formation switch, Colorado has a need for young center-backs at the moment. We saw this with the loan acquisition of Noah Cobb. The center back partnership for Colorado at this moment is Rob Holding and Andreas Maxsø. Both players are on either side of 30-years-old, and while the Rapids just got Holding, Maxsø has been linked to rumors regarding his departure from Colorado. While keeping both guys would be ideal for Colorado, if either doesn’t work out in Colorado, Lucas Herrington will be a more than ample replacement in the short and long term for the Rapids.

Colorado did not do their usual loan with an option to buy for Herrington, which goes to show how the team feels about the young center back. He will most likely not get the early minutes needed to properly evaluate a loanee before purchasing the player. But this also means that the Rapids feel strongly enough about the player to lock him into a four-year deal. Not loaning the player also avoids any rise in value that could see Colorado pay more than they would like.

Lucas Herrington could have a very similar career path in Colorado to that of Moïse Bombito or Auston Trusty. The Rapids have been very good at allowing young defenders to sit on the bench for a year, get acclimated to the city or the country in the case of Herrington. After a year of questioning whether the acquisition was worth it for Colorado, he would be unleashed onto the league and become a star in the back for the Rapids. This would be ideal for both the team and ownership, as he could ask a high price if he breaks out in Colorado.

Getting Herrington is a good deal for Colorado. Assuming his impact on the salary cap is reasonable, he would be a low-risk and high-reward signing for the Rapids. Herrington is a player for the future, whether that future is a depth piece or becoming a star in Colorado, it should be a relatively successful signing. He is one to be excited about. Welcome to Colorado, Lucas Herrington! See you in 2026!

Photo Credit: Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images

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