NLF Futures at IMG: Top Defenders in the ’26 Class

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A hotspot for top underclassmen looking to test their mettle and get coached up before the start of the season, NLF at IMG weekend has always been a great place to watch some of the best sophomores in the country in a different setting. <br><br>Kicking off on Saturday morning, attendees engaged in positional skill work before 1v1's, 2v2's, and 3v3's started up later in the day, followed by transition work and the always entertaining Genny drill to set the tone for Sunday and Monday's games. <br><br>With Ivy League programs not starting up until 2/1, coaches from schools like Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Dartmouth, and Penn made their way down to Florida, as did Maryland, Loyola, Towson, St. John's, and a plethora of Division III programs. <br></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["17165"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"Bramoff makes a strong argument for having the best stick of any high school longpole, rivaling fellow Long Island native Tyler Eye. The type of player that offenses have to account for at all times, Bramoff was always getting in passing lanes and snagging the ball out of the air before running fast breaks to perfection. In the All-Star Game, he posted a goal and an assist along with a pair of pretty caused turnovers, then continued to be an animal in Monday's championship game, yard-saling a kid and sending his stick helicoptering into the air. When the ball's on the ground, Bramoff gobbles it up cleanly the first time. He's just a pleasure to watch — it's easy to see why he's considered to be one of the very best '26s in the country at this early point.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_1_player":["17168"],"_player_evaluations_1_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_1_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_1_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_1_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_1_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"If Kelly got beat all weekend, I must have missed it. A hard-nosed eraser with phenomenal footwork, he runs a sub-4.5 forty and is already on the radar of Power 5 football programs (u003ca href=u0022https://prepredzone.com/player/george-kelly/u0022u003eand Prep Redzone's scoutsu003c/au003e) due to his prowess at running back. Kelly's athleticism and tenacity were on display down at IMG as he proved to be a dominant force on-ball, matching feet and getting under the skin of opposing dodgers with his relentless approach to defense. On Saturday, his competitiveness spoke loudly as he embraced and won each rep, carrying that over to game play the next two days. He doesn't budge at GLE and is excellent off the ground, too.","_player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_2_player":["17170"],"_player_evaluations_2_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_2_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_2_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_2_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_2_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"Duran was one of the first defensemen that stood out during Saturday's programming. Well-rounded and well-coached, he's great at initiating contact and playing angles, showing strong fundamentals and awareness at all times. Listed at 6'0 and 185 pounds, Duran was consistently disruptive, tipping shots and passes to interrupt possessions, but he's equally effective as a position defender and vocal off-ball presence. Time after time, he made plays that often translated to goals on the other end.","_player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_3_player":["17173"],"_player_evaluations_3_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_3_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_3_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_3_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_3_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"Another fundamentally sound Long Island product, Zacharia got regular playing time at LSM for the state champs and has caught my attention ever since, primarily playing close D. Athletic at 6'0 and 180 pounds, he plays hard and disciplined: every approach and slide is on point. Down at IMG, Zacharia regularly made impactful plays to lift his squad and earned himself a spot in the All-Star Game, raising eyebrows when he de-sticked an unsuspecting attackman. In the clearing game, he throws long tosses with precision and is smart with the ball in his stick.","_player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_4_player":["17220"],"_player_evaluations_4_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_4_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_4_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_4_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_4_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_4_evaluation":"Standing 6'1, Crowe has long arms that he uses to his advantage to get his stick out in passing lanes to hinder offensive possessions. He did so on a handful of occasions and also caused several turnovers when sliding. There's no doubt that he's still growing into his body, but he moves nicely for his size and looks like he's still growing. Coachable and steady during Saturday's drills, he played picks well and made some heads-up plays.","_player_evaluations_4_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_5_player":["17213"],"_player_evaluations_5_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_5_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_5_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_5_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_5_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_5_evaluation":"While Brown is undersized right now, the lefty has the fundamentals, footwork, and quick hips required to play the position at a high level. He possesses a motor that doesn't stop and plays bigger than he is, driving attackmen away at GLE and getting his hands on them. On top of that, everything about his stick is dialed in. He caught dodgers slipping with trail checks, came out of scrums with the ball on numerous occasions, made an impact in transition, and did the little things better than most poles in attendance.","_player_evaluations_5_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_6_player":["17208"],"_player_evaluations_6_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_6_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_6_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_6_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_6_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_6_evaluation":"You can always count on there being more than one standout defenseman on a Laxachusetts roster, and in this case, it's from the same high school program. Pairing a 6'2 frame with a sensational handle, Burke plays with an edge and proved to be a tough matchup, pushing guys around to the point that they started to stay away. He seems to have rebounded well after suffering a torn meniscus in the first event of the summer circuit, moving around with confidence and always in the middle of everything.","_player_evaluations_6_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_7_player":["17229"],"_player_evaluations_7_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_7_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_7_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_7_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_7_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_7_evaluation":"Tough to miss at 6'2 and 200 pounds, Graham is a prospect who I'll be intrigued to follow over the next year or two. He showed flashes of brilliance and has some attributes that you simply can't teach, and even though he made some mistakes here and there, it was all stuff that's easily fixable.","_player_evaluations_7_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_8_player":["17234"],"_player_evaluations_8_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_8_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_8_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_8_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_8_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_8_evaluation":"Flashy and excitable in every sense, Allen plays with a ton of energy and is all over the field emptying the tank. Although he's somewhere around 5'7, he's got impeccable stick skills that allow him to make a huge impact in the middle of the field - leaving your stick hanging around him is costly. If you're looking for a shutdown cover man, he probably isn't your guy, but if you're looking for a highly impactful pole who gets the ball off the ground and racks up points, Allen fits the bill.","_player_evaluations_8_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_9_player":["17245"],"_player_evaluations_9_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_9_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_9_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_9_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_9_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_9_evaluation":"I love Corr's upside, and it doesn't hurt that he comes from two programs known for producing poles. Evaluating him in a small sample size, he kind of falls under the 'jack of all trades, master of none' category, but with a 6'3 frame. There's just a presence about him, and he showed a willingness to play a multitude of roles, providing a boost as a communicator, on the wings and up top.","_player_evaluations_9_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":10,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-65a97b76b81c1"} /-->