Top Uncommitted 2026's: Defensive Midfielders

It's hard to overstate just how important the shortstick d-middie position is, and over the years, it seems as if coaches have changed the way they recruit the position, given the fact that many recent national champions have had stables of four-plus stalwart SSDMs making their presence felt. Although a number of the top prospects are off the board (including one I'd written up for this piece before learning that he's set to announce for a top program this weekend), there's a lot of promising SSDM talent still available. Here's a closer look at five of the best:    If you were to watch Davis play the defensive midfield position, it might be hard to believe that he's still uncommitted. As recently as Thursday, Prep Redzone scout Caleb Holfoth touted him as the Player of the Month in New York, crediting the running back as having 'an exceptional start to the year' and praising his increased explosiveness on the gridiron. That's all to say that it makes sense why Davis is keeping his options open at this time. On the lacrosse field, he's a menace between the lines and at the top of the box, where he can match feet and get his hands on opposing dodgers to stand them up and make life difficult. No matter what route he goes, he'll make any program better.     I love watching Moloney play and think he'll be a fantastic addition to a top program. It's a word that gets thrown around a bunch when talking about SSDMs to the point that it's becoming a cliche, but he embraces the position and loves getting dodged. He's so good at pushing opponents off of their line, often executing a nasty takeaway check and/or putting his man on the ground before darting upfield with the ball. Moloney has excellent feet, grit, and most of all, he's got a motor that never stops. There's no question about where he projects, but there's a lot to love about Moloney's willingness to do anything. According to his IMLCA profile, he trains at the face-off position (where he won 78 percent in the spring), led his team in assists, and scored 19 goals.     Calvert Hall has an excellent track record developing and producing top-flight shorties, with back-to-back PLL champion Conner Maher '18 being one example. The Cardinals have also had several talented football players at the position, and Snelbaker is in that bucket, although he's more polished with his lacrosse skills. This past spring and summer, he routinely caught my eye with his athleticism, competitive edge, and ability to push his guy off their line into uncomfortable spots. He's got great hips and moves so well laterally, and even when someone gets a step on him, it still feels like he's in a position to be disruptive and make a play. An asset in the clearing game, he's always making appropriate decisions with the ball in his stick, too.     Yet another talented football player, it looks like Diaz is out to a strong start to his junior season, having racked up 14.6 yards per catch with five TDs. At 6'1 and 180 pounds, he's uber-athletic and has a strong and sturdy frame that he knows how to use to his advantage. This summer - particularly at the NLF Championships - opposing dodgers were never able to get much of anything going when matched up with Diaz, a pest who was always getting after ball carriers and helping end possessions. There's a lot of upside there, especially if he works on his stick skills.     Sayer first caught my eye at Best In Class and Great 8 early in the summer. It's tough to miss that 6'4 frame, quite frankly. He's so much more than an athletic and imposing body, though, as he's got the skill set and mindset to back it up. However, because of his size, he's so well-suited to not only match up with the big downhill dodgers but the smaller, quicker types as well. Beyond his work 1v1 and on the wings, he's incredibly polished away from the ball and seems to be a great communicator.

It's hard to overstate just how important the shortstick d-middie position is, and over the years, it seems as if coaches have changed the way they recruit the position, given the fact that many recent national champions have had stables of four-plus stalwart SSDMs making their presence felt.

Although a number of the top prospects are off the board (including one I'd written up for this piece before learning that he's set to announce for a top program this weekend), there's a lot of promising SSDM talent still available.

Here's a closer look at five of the best: