The Five Most Dangerous Offensive Recruits in the Class of 2024

An electric athlete, Jeffery is likely to wind up in the No. 1 spot in the final Class of 2024 rankings, and for good reason. Jeffery, who will also play football for the Irish, has continued to elevate his game over the past two seasons and has become even more dynamic since the summer before his recruitment. At that point, the knock on Jeffery was his dependence on his left hand. After a while, defenses knew he was going left-to-left, but once he put his foot in the ground with a violent jab step, there was no stopping him. That continues to be the case, however, it’s apparent just how much confidence he has developed when attacking with his right hand. He’s able to stretch defenses with his outside shot and range, but he’s also incredibly dangerous as a passer (where you can see the basketball influence) and consistently opens up scoring chances for his teammates due to the amount of attention Jeffery draws. The best players are the ones that can be moved around within an offense and have success no matter what, and Jeffery fits into that category.

Looking back at the past five recruiting cycles, it’s hard to think of another midfield prospect who has created separation as effortlessly as Jeffery does, and only Jordan Faison comes to mind. I still kick myself for not ranking Faison higher than No. 48, and perhaps I overthought it, feeling as though he’d be at a disadvantage coming into the spring after missing fall ball while suiting up (and thriving) for the football team. Well, athletes are athletes, and there’s no doubt that Faison’s situation has changed the way I think about how Jeffery projects in South Bend. With the Irish set to graduate most of their top six on offense, he could step in and team up with Faison on the first line right away, a possibility that must put a smile on Kevin Corrigan’s face.

Seeing as he’s listed at 6’2 and 205 pounds, the fact that Anderson is nicknamed ‘Bear’ is certainly appropriate. His combination of size, athleticism, versatility, and skill made him one of the most intriguing prospects in the Class of 2024 heading into 9/1 of his junior year, and a handful of recruiters predicted that he could wind up as the best player in the entire class. Right now, he’s not too far off. A bull in a china shop with tremendous body control for a player of his stature, Anderson was an attackman with Prime Time on the club circuit but quickly settled into a midfield role with Brunswick and has proven to be a matchup nightmare for the Bruins’ opponents. He’s always been at his best when he’s attacking from the wings and up top, and no matter where he’s initiating from, he consistently gets to high-percentage areas and makes a killing getting back to the middle of the field. Shooting a heavy ball with his feet moving, it’s very rare to see Anderson’s shots get saved, as he has proven to be incredibly difficult to stop for longpoles and goalies alike.

It’s always been easy to envision Anderson as a midfielder once he arrives at Syracuse. The Orange will bring back five of its top six midfielders — Michael Leo, Finn Thomson, Sam English, Luke Rhoa, and Jackson Birtwistle — in 2025, so seeing what they do with Anderson will be interesting. I can’t help but feel as if he’d add a ton to the attack as a freshman and give the unit an athletic dodging threat, which would take pressure off of Joey Spallina and allow Hiltz to thrive more in a natural off-ball role inside while Anderson attacks from the wings. With Hiltz and grad student Christian Mulé in starting roles this year, offensive coordinator Pat March is familiar with having two lefties on the attack, and this would maximize Anderson’s role and make the unit much tougher to defend.

Able to fill up a stat sheet as well as anyone, Colsey has presented a strong case to become ranked as the top attackman in the ’24 class when it’s all said and done. Dynamic and fleet-footed, he has had very little trouble getting his hands free over the years, carrying the rock with confidence, dodging fearlessly and able to break his man down all over the field. As a shooter, the ball explodes out of his stick. He’s always been excellent in that regard, but there’s no doubt that Colsey has taken his shooting to another level over the past two seasons. Accustomed to having junk thrown at him in an attempt to hinder his playmaking ability, he’s so good at taking what the defense gives him and isn’t afraid to bang it from 15 yards. As of press time for this USA Lacrosse Magazine feature earlier this month, Colsey had 179 goals and 98 assists for his career, having racked up 101 points as a freshman and 95 points as a sophomore.

This fall in Charlottesville, Colsey is set to reunite with his older brother Ryan, a redshirt freshman and fellow lefty who has racked up 15 goals and four assists as a member of Virginia’s first line. With the ‘Hoos needing more of a scoring punch out of the midfield, it would make sense to have the younger Colsey run out of the box early on his career. However, there’s also the possibility that he could slot in at attack, with the unit graduating Connor Shellenberger and Payton Cormier. Grad transfer Jack Boyden, who has run out of the midfield this spring, also has another year if he wants it and would bump down to team up with McCabe Millon at attack, where Colsey could be an intriguing third starter. Regardless of how he’s lined up, Colsey certainly fits the bill as a player bound to make an impact early and often.

The third and final Eclipse standout featured on this list, Pokorny is a constant threat to take over a game. The powerful left-handed presence dodges with purpose and has a downright nasty shot from the outside, but he’s far more than just an off-ball weapon. After being used as such earlier in his career, a larger role was asked of Pokorny as a junior and he was up to the task, finishing with over 90 points in 2023 and operating with the ball in his stick much more frequently. With a tremendous feel for the game and big moments, he’s great at taking advantage of poor approaches and defensive miscues, and when the shot isn’t there, he consistently finds his teammates open with his pinpoint skip passes. More than anything, Pokorny is incredibly creative. He plays with flair and is always willing to take risks, and as a coach, you have no choice but to live with it because the ball ends up in the back of the net more often than not.

With Pat Kavanagh and Jake Taylor moving on after this season, the Irish will have two openings at attack, so Pokorny is a logical choice to fill one of them. There’s no doubt that Chris Kavanagh will become more of a focal point for opponents’ game plans, and Pokorny looks more than ready to quickly step into a prominent role. Naturally, he’d also be an asset for Notre Dame’s extra-man offense, which currently ranks No. 1 in college lacrosse by a wide margin and will have to replace most of its pieces in 2025.

In case you’re new here, I’ve probably championed Buonanno as much as any recruit since our launch in December, the same month he earned five-star status and completely took over at the Best In Class Committed event. Here’s what I wrote when Buonanno and two more ’24s added a fifth star:rn

Buonanno has taken his game to another level in the last six months to position himself as one of the very best players in the class, having checked in as the No. 35 recruit in last August’s initial class rankings but due for a big promotion. Now a postgrad at Deerfield (Mass.), the Princeton-bound lefty was a three-time First Team All-State selection at Moses Brown (R.I.) and has developed at a rapid pace, so he’s likely to put on a show with the Big Green in 2024.

There was some initial skepticism about his slight frame, however, Buonanno looked bigger, faster, and stronger — not to mention utterly dominant — during a stellar summer with 3d New England. In the two-man game, he’s as poised and proficient as they come. On the ride or when the ball is on the ground, he’s all over it and can quickly make things happen in an eye-popping fashion before the opposition can adjust. His savvy playmaking ability, slickness, and elusiveness are attributes that are on display at all times, and he’s just a blast to watch. At the Best In Class Committed event this weekend, Buonnano took home MVP honors and was a steady force both in skill sessions and games, even if he’d already cemented five-star status long before that.

It took him a little time to get going as a postgrad for the Big Green (based purely on what I’ve been able to watch), but as expected, he’s been a steady force and has had tremendous success against the high-caliber defensemen on Deerfield’s schedule. On Saturday, he had perhaps his best game of the year in a dominant win over Taft. On a team full of talent, he’s been incredibly reliable, further demonstrating his high IQ and ability to excel at everything he’s asked to do.

Of course, I’m incredibly bullish on Buonanno at the next level, especially since he’s gotten a lot bigger since his recruitment. That being said, Coulter Mackesy has another year left and Colin Burns and Nate Kabiri have been sensational as freshmen, so there’s no chance any of the three will get bumped up to the midfield. We’re in a positionless era anyway, and upon Buonanno’s arrival for the 2025 season, Princeton offensive coordinator Jim Mitchell is likely to have Buonanno run out of the box and work to get him shortstick matchups as much as possible.