Where Every 2024 PLL Draft Pick Ranked as a Recruit
As a longtime NFL Draft and college football junkie, and having spent the last 15 years covering lacrosse recruiting, I’ve always found it fascinating to see how each year’s NFL first-rounders were ranked and rated coming out of high school.
So, I figured I’d do it for lacrosse, especially since this year’s PLL Draft was arguably the most talent-laden in the sport’s history.
For both college coaches and talent evaluators such as myself, recruiting is inherently an inexact science. Some of the best high school players I’ve ever evaluated never lived up to their ranking, and Division I programs that threw big scholarship offers at them didn’t end up getting much of a return on their investment. That’s the nature of making these types of projections, and ‘missing’ is inevitable — quite frankly, you’re only in trouble if you miss more than you hit.
In this year’s PLL Draft, 12 of the 32 picks were rated as 5-stars coming out of high school, 13 more were rated as 4-stars, and a total of 21 players were ranked as Power 100 recruits heading into college. Two players were rated as 3-stars, and five weren’t rated or ranked at all. In terms of representation, 15 of the 32 draft picks went to public school, and nine draft picks came out of New York. No other state had more than three (Md., Pa., and N.C. had three each), and Canada accounted for four draft picks, including three from Ontario.
Without further ado, let’s dive into the star ratings, rankings, and geography of this year’s PLL draftees. If you like what you see and want daily lacrosse recruiting content, save 30% off an annual or 2-year subscription by using the code ‘TY30’ at checkout.
1. Denver Outlaws — Brennan O’Neill, A, Duke
St. Anthony’s (N.Y.) | Team 91 Long Island
#1 in the Class of 2020 | 5-star | #1 attackman
O’Neill arrived in Durham as a generational talent and the most hyped recruit in lacrosse history, having been on the national radar since his middle school days with Team 91 Crush. As an eighth grader at Bay Shore (N.Y.) in 2016, O’Neill made waves when he verbally committed to Penn State and led Long Island with 98 points before making the move to St. Anthony’s for his high school career. Despite missing the 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the heralded lefty racked up 219 career points (153g/66a) in three years with the Friars.
2. New York Atlas — Connor Shellenberger, A, Virginia
St. Anne’s Belfield (Va.) | Madlax
#1 in the Class of 2019 | 5-star | #1 attackman
Another no-brainer of a No. 1 recruit, Shellenberger also went wire-to-wire as the top-ranked prospect in the class and was extremely impressive while navigating a series of changes along the way. Shellenberger initially committed to Johns Hopkins midway through the summer heading into his freshman year. In the fall of his sophomore year at STAB, and shortly after Lars Tiffany and his staff’s arrival in Charlottesville, Shellenberger flipped to his hometown ‘Hoos. He left home and spent his junior year at Bullis (Md.), where he thrived against a higher level of competition and helped the Bulldogs to an IAC title before returning to STAB for his final season.
3. Maryland Whipsnakes — Ajax Zappitello, D, Maryland
Sunset (Ore.) | Legends, Thunder, WC Starz
#67 in the Class of 2020 | 4-star | #16 defender
Despite his dominance at the college level, Zappitello wasn’t as highly coveted as one might assume, even though his early commitment to Maryland may have suggested otherwise. Labeling the Oregon native as having flown under the radar wouldn’t be accurate either — he was ranked 98th when he chose the Terps as a junior. However, with a thin 5’11 frame, questions arose about his size. While Zappitello showed flashes as a freshman at LSM and on Maryland’s man-down unit, he didn’t truly hit his stride until the fall of his sophomore year. Zappitello’s level of improvement was a result of his staunch commitment to the weight room and his increased confidence, and the Terps have reaped the rewards ever since.
4. Carolina Chaos — Shane Knobloch, M, Rutgers
Moorestown (N.J.) | Blue Star
Unranked in the Class of 2020 | 4-star
I take some solace in the fact that we identified Knobloch as a 4-star recruit and the Scarlet Knights’ top Class of 2020 recruit. However, I recognize that it might be a stretch to imagine the South Jersey product as a Power 100 recruit if not for the pandemic. When Knobloch committed to Rutgers over Delaware, UMass, Lehigh, and Villanova, among others, he stood around 5’9”, matching his listed height on the Rutgers 2024 roster. Even though he possessed a big-time outside shot, I had my doubts about how he would fare in the Big 10. Nevertheless, he deserves immense credit for his career, especially considering that Rutgers frequently brought in a high volume of grad transfers who were much older and experienced than Knobloch.
5. New York Atlas — Liam Entenmann, G, Notre Dame
Chaminade (N.Y.) | LI Express
#20 in the Class of 2019 | 5-star | #1 goalie
Given Chaminade’s status as an established goalie factory, Entenmann had to wait his turn to become the Flyers’ starting netminder. He committed to Notre Dame as a sophomore, bided his time behind another ACC recruit for two seasons, and didn’t earn the starting job until his senior year. Known on the summer circuit for his lanky yet imposing 6’3 frame and ridiculous doorstep stops, Entenmann seized the opportunity and helped propel Chaminade to a No. 6 finish in IL’s end-of-year rankings. In the 2019 Under Armour All-American Game, fellow North goalie Logan McNaney (Maryland) stole the show with a 16-save half and captured MVP honors. Still, Entenmann’s overall body of work and college-ready size and athleticism made him the top-ranked Class of 2019 goalie, and a few months later, he earned a spot on the U.S. U-19 roster.
6. Boston Cannons — Pat Kavanagh, A, Notre Dame
Chaminade (N.Y.), Taft (Conn.) PG | LI Express
#26 in the Class of 2019 | 4-star | #8 attackman
ESPN’s Paul Carcaterra has gotten quite a bit of flak for characterizing Kavanagh as an undersized, underrecruited, and overlooked attack prospect. That narrative isn’t sensationalized, even if social media critics have been quick to point to Kavanagh’s No. 26 ranking heading into college. At Chaminade, he was downright tiny and inconsistent — Kavanagh would have been considered a high 3-star if anything, and he only got one other offer from a mid-major. However, he broke through in his PG year at Taft, racking up 31 goals and 38 assists before going on to make the U.S. U-19 roster. After reclassing as a ’19, Kavanagh was two spots away from being a 5-star, which was fair at the time. Of course, he has completely exceeded expectations during his time in South Bend.
7. Philadelphia Waterdogs — Matt Brandau, A, Yale
Boys’ Latin (Md.) | Crabs
#17 in the Class of 2018 | 5-star | #4 attackman
Brandau had an incredibly productive career with the Lakers, however, a less-than-stellar senior year raised some concerns, as he went from a First Team All-Metro selection as a junior to Second Team as a senior. I gave him the benefit of the doubt and felt as though he still deserved 5-star status, though at the time of his commitment, he was unranked and only on the Class of 2018 Watchlist. As a prospect, there’s no doubt that he shared a lot of similarities with fellow MIAA product and former Yale teammate Jackson Morrill, demonstrating a super high IQ, elite vision, and high-level skills, but like Morrill, he wasn’t viewed as a great athlete. Now, he’s the all-time leading scorer in Ivy League history.
8. Utah Archers — Mason Woodward, LSM/D, Marquette
St. Paul’s (Md.) | Crabs
#99 in the Class of 2019 | 4-star | #30 defender
Woodward got minimal attention during the recruiting process, and upon e-mailing a bunch of schools, Marquette was the only program to respond and ultimately became the only school that Woodward visited. He committed to then-head coach Joe Amplo on the spot, and although a handful of big-name programs kicked the tires a bit and became interested in Woodward during his rising senior summer, he stayed loyal to the Golden Eagles. He played all five years of Andrew Stimmel’s tenure at Marquette and was named an All-American each spring except for the shortened 2020 season. Not too shabby for a kid who barely cracked the Power 100 and barely got any love as a recruit.
Round 2
9. Denver Outlaws — Jake Piseno, LSM, UAlbany
Liverpool (N.Y.) | Upstate LC
#65 in the Class of 2019 | 4-star | #21 defender
10. New York Atlas — Jake Stevens, M, Princeton/Syracuse
Culver Academy (Ind.) | Edge
#69 in the Class of 2018 | 4-star | #19 midfielder
11. Denver Outlaws — Graham Bundy, M, Georgetown
MICDS (Mo.) | West Coast Starz
#5 in the Class of 2019 | 5-star | #1 midfielder
12. Carolina Chaos — Eric Dobson, M, Notre Dame
Fleming Island (Fla.) | SweetLax FL
#61 in the Class of 2020 | 4-star | #20 midfielder
13. Utah Archers — Beau Pederson, DM, Princeton/Michigan
Park City (Utah) | West Coast Starz
#60 in the Class of 2018 | 4-star | #16 midfielder
14. Boston Cannons — Alex Vardaro, M, Princeton/Georgetown
Hewlett (N.Y.) | FLG, LI Sting
Unranked in the Class of 2018 | 3-star
15. Philadelphia Waterdogs — Kenny Brower, D, Duke
Massapequa (N.Y.) | Team 91 Long Island
No. 2 in the Class of 2019 | 5-star | #1 defender
16. Utah Archers — Dyson Williams, A, Duke
Hill Academy (Ont.) | Whitby Jr. A
No. 3 in the Class of 2019 | 5-star | #2 attackman
Round 3
17. Maryland Whipsnakes — TJ Malone, A, Penn State
Haverford (Pa.) | NXT
Unranked in the Class of 2018
18. California Redwoods — Garrett Degnon, A/M, Johns Hopkins
DeMatha (Md.) | Blackwolf
Unranked in the Class of 2018
19. Denver Outlaws — Josh Zawada, A, Michigan/Duke
Hill Academy (Ont.) | Okotoks Jr. A
No. 23 in the Class of 2019 | 5-star | #7 attackman
20. Carolina Chaos — Ross Scott, A, Rutgers
West Linn (Ore.) | 3d Oregon
Unranked in the Class of 2019
21. California Redwoods — Levi Anderson, A/M, St. Joseph’s
Crescent Heights (Alb.) | Okotoks Jr. A
Unranked in the Class of 2019
22. Maryland Whipsnakes — Stephen Zupicich, LSM, Ohio State/Villanova
Fordham Prep (N.Y.) | Express North
4-star in the Class of 2019
23. Philadelphia Waterdogs — Marcus Hudgins, D, Ohio State
West Genesee (N.Y.)
Unranked in the Class of 2017
24. Utah Archers — Colby Barcz, D, Towson
Weddington (N.C.) | Team 24/7
4-star in the Class of 2020
Round 4
25. Denver Outlaws — Luke Wierman, F/O, Maryland
Henderson (Pa.) | PA Roughriders
3-star in the Class of 2019 | #18 face-off specialist
26. New York Atlas — Tyler Carpenter, LSM, Duke
Durham Academy (N.C.), Salisbury (Conn.) PG | Team 91 Carolina
#49 in the Class of 2019 | 4-star | #14 defender
27. Maryland Whipsnakes — Adam Poitras, A, Loyola
Hill Academy (Ont.) | Whitby Jr. A
4-star in the Class of 2019 | #29 attackman
28. Carolina Chaos — Dylan Hess, DM, Georgetown
Ponte Vedra (Fla.) | Sweetlax FL
#10 in the Class of 2020 | 5-star | #2 midfielder
29. California Redwoods — Chayse Ierlan, G, Cornell/Johns Hopkins
Victor (N.Y.) | Rochester Flyers
#21 in the Class of 2018 | 5-star | #2 goalie
30. Boston Cannons — Scott Smith, D, Johns Hopkins
Conestoga (Pa.) | Rising Sons
#20 in the Class of 2020 | 5-star | #5 defender
31. Philadelphia Waterdogs — Michael Boehm, A, Michigan
St. Ignatius (Ohio) | West Coast Starz
#22 in the Class of 2020 | 5-star | #9 attackman
32. California Redwoods — Cole Kastner, D, Virginia
Menlo (Calif.) | ADVNC, West Coast Starz
#75 in the Class of 2020 | 4-star | #17 defender