Names to Know: Class of 2026 Midfielders

In today's piece, we're looking at seven of the best '26 midfielders who we had yet to highlight since December's launch. Check back soon for more on the rest of the positional groups!    Among the most advanced shooters in the class, Demarinis played with a ton of confidence this summer coming off of a spring in which he picked up First Team All-WCAC honors as a sophomore. Incredibly polished and able to create his shot at will due to his athleticism, he gets his shots off in a hurry and can get it done under duress. Perhaps most impressive is his ability to mix up his release points as well as anyone, and there's no drop-off between any of them. Some elite shooters tend to get overconfident and overzealous with their shot selection, and that's not at all the case with Demarinis.     Casillo finished his summer circuit in style, putting together a superb campaign with his 3d NE squad at the Long Island Summer Showdown. A playmaker who is constantly applying pressure on opposing defenses, Casillo possesses high-level vision and field sense. He's excellent when it comes to dodging to feed, taking advantage of the attention he garners and setting up teammates. When going to the rack, he gets to high percentage areas (often the middle of the field) and can do damage with both his left and right. Shifty, athletic, and intelligent, he often caught my eye this spring, finishing with 17 goals and 27 assists for the ISL champions.     Though there's no doubt that Cepiel is a college midfielder, his crafty dodging skill set sometimes is more reminiscent of an attackman. Dangerous from the high wing, Cepiel has a variety of moves in his repertoire along with excellent hands and wrists. Paired with a great first step, he loves to use deception and frequently throws pretty fakes to freeze the defense. This summer, he performed well at a handful of individual showcases and impressed for a tough NH Tomahawks squad that challenged some of the best teams in the country.     An outstanding athlete who is also a standout football player, McColgan brings speed, toughness, and a powerful overhand shot to the table. Possessing a well-built frame, the Cincinnati native is equally capable of putting his shoulder down to create separation or sweeping across the top and uncorking one on the run. When he's on, he's awfully difficult to stop. The key for McColgan, however, is maintaining consistency and learning to hit singles rather than trying to hit home runs. Because of his athleticism and competitive edge, he's also an asset on the defensive end, frequently jamming up opposing dodgers.     Hailing from the Eastern Shore of Maryland, Schniedwind is a lefty who looks the part with his tall and athletic frame. He saw significant minutes at defensive midfield for the MIAA champs, and while that's where I envision him playing at the next level, he looked strong in 6v6 offense for the Crabs this summer. Often matched up with a shortstick, he went at them with confidence and dodged hard downhill while showing off above-average vision. Expect him to have an even bigger role for the Eagles as a junior.     Weller is undoubtedly one of my favorite Class of 2026 midfielders to watch. Quite frankly, very few go harder than him. On top of that, when the game is on the line, Weller is as good as it gets and always finds that extra gear. The younger brother of two Michigan Wolverines, he's all over the ball when it's on the ground and is quick to trigger transition, whether that means taking it to the rack himself or making the appropriate pass to a teammate. It certainly doesn't hurt that he's a lefty, routinely putting the clamps on right-handed dodgers.     Yet another lefty worth highlighting, Orcutt has the most blinding speed of the bunch. Even after suffering a knee injury that caused him to miss a handful of games in the middle of his sophomore year (he still racked up 18g/17a in 10 games), Orcutt got from restraining line to restraining line in the blink of an eye and showed no sign of a fall-off when it comes to his stop-and-start ability. He's smooth with the ball in his stick and is very good at passing out of his initial dodge, but just as impactful when dodging to score when the opportunity presents itself.

In today's piece, we're looking at seven of the best '26 midfielders who we had yet to highlight since December's launch. Check back soon for more on the rest of the positional groups!