The Next Wave: College Lacrosse's Top 100 Freshmen

This weekend, the college lacrosse season officially kicks off, ushering in a highly anticipated wave of freshman talent eager to make their mark. Headlining the crop of 23 five-star recruits is Notre Dame midfielder Matt Jeffery, a highly athletic lefty from Cheshire High School in Connecticut. He spent the fall as a wide receiver and special teams contributor for the Fighting Irish football team, appearing in three games before redshirting. Following a trip to the national championship game in Atlanta, Jeffery recently joined the two-time defending champions for preseason preparations in South Bend. In the top five, he's joined by a pair of his former Eclipse Lacrosse Club teammates — <a href="https://preplacrosse.com/2024/04/the-five-most-dangerous-offensive-recruits-in-the-class-of-2024/">both fellow lefties</a>. No. 2 recruit Kyle Colsey, a Ridgefield product at Virginia, will redshirt this season after suffering a torn ACL in September. Meanwhile, Fighting Irish attackman Brady Pokorny, ranked No. 4, enters college after a stellar career at Darien, where he racked up 285 points. Rounding out the top five are No. 3 recruit Nik Menendez of Duke, the top-ranked defenseman out of Culver (Ind.), along with No. 5 recruit Peter Buonanno, a Princeton attackman from Rhode Island's Moses Brown School. Buonnano made a huge jump from No. 33 in the last rankings, though he was awarded five-star status back in December midway through his postgraduate year at Deerfield. Now, let's get into a few important details: — Given the positional interchangeability in lacrosse — such as high school attackmen shifting to midfield — I opted to use the positions listed on each school's online roster. — OK, disclaimer time: I don't really follow fall ball or preseason scrimmages. I don't go to practices or ask around too much. Although these rankings are being released later than usual (I promise I'll do better next year!), no 'new' names were added, and no changes were made as a result of what happened or what I heard between August 2024 and this week. After all, we're projecting how a player will fare over the course of their entire college career, not predicting who will play early. Alright, let's roll the ball out and play some lacrosse. Without further ado...   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">5-Stars</h2>   1. Matt Jeffery, M, Notre Dame | Cheshire (Conn.)   2. Kyle Colsey, A/M, Virginia | Ridgefield (Conn.)   3. Nikolas Menendez, D, Duke | Culver (Ind.)   4. Brady Pokorny, A, Notre Dame | Darien (Conn.)   5. Peter Buonanno, A, Princeton | Moses Brown (R.I.), Deerfield (Mass.) PG   6. Ben McCarthy, F/O, Duke | Haverford (Pa.)   7. Mason Szewcyzk, M, North Carolina | Culver (Ind.)   8. Finn Fox, D, Princeton | Belmont Hill (Mass.)   9. Spencer Ford, A, Maryland | Boys' Latin (Md.)   10. Hudson Hausmann, M, Virginia | Brunswick (Conn.)   11. Payton Anderson, A/M, Syracuse | Brunswick (Conn.)   12. Ben Friedman, G, Yale | Taft (Conn.)   13. Liam Kershis, A, Duke | Shoreham-Wading River (N.Y.)   14. Caden Harshbarger, M, North Carolina | Lake Mary (Fla.)   15. Ryan Duenkel, A/M, Virginia | St. John's (D.C.)   16. Sean Browne, A/M, Virginia | Episcopal Dallas (Texas)   17. Jimmy Kenney, LSM, Notre Dame | Needham (Mass.)   18. Luke Hublitz, D, Virginia | Brunswick (Conn.)   19. Peter Laake, D, Maryland | Loyola Blakefield (Md.)   20. Graham Stevens, G, Harvard | Pingry (N.J.)   21. Dante Vardaro, D, Penn | St. Anthony's (N.Y.)   22. Timmy Piacentini, G, Cornell | Lawrenceville (N.J.)   23. Lucca DiBartolomeo, LSM, Penn State | Malvern Prep (Pa.)   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">4-Stars</h2>   24. Jared Maznik, A, Harvard | Western Reserve (Ohio)   25. Hunter Aquino, M, Penn State | Academy of the New Church (Pa.)   26. Nathan Cobery, A, Harvard | Loomis Chaffee (Conn.)   27. Connor Gately, A, Yale | Lawrenceville (N.J.)    28. Ciaran McCleary, M, Johns Hopkins | Georgetown Prep (Md.)   29. Liam White, M, Ohio State | Boys' Latin (Md.)   30. Ross Prince, F/O, Georgetown | Springside Chestnut Hill (Pa.)   31. Ben Firlie, M, Georgetown | McDonogh (Md.)   32. Chase Cellucci, D, North Carolina | Salesianum (Del.)   33. Joe Hobot, F/O, Johns Hopkins | Loomis Chaffee (Conn.)   34. Michael Savadove, D, Harvard | Radnor (Pa.)   35. Paul van Bastelaar, M, Penn | La Salle (Pa.)   36. Joey Bambrick, M, Notre Dame | Bellarmine Prep (Wash.)   37. Stevie Davis, F/O, Penn | La Salle (Pa.)   38. Michael Marshall, D, Cornell | Westfield (N.J.)   39. Connor Nolen, M, Duke | Haverford (Pa.)   40. Ben Fox, D, North Carolina | Chaminade (N.Y.)   41. Lucas Fraser, D, Jacksonville | Hill Academy (Ont.)   42. Max Allen, D, Georgetown | McDonogh (Md.)   43. John Draley, M, Maryland | St. John's (D.C.)   44. Tommy Snyder, D, Virginia | St. Anthony's (N.Y.)   45. Luke Miller, A, Notre Dame | McDonogh (Md.)   46. Aidan McDonald, A, Princeton | Culver (Ind.)   47. Johnny Gardiner, A, Maryland | Gonzaga (D.C.)   48. Matt Wills, D, Penn | La Salle (Pa.)   49. Luke Breslin, A, Lehigh | St. Anthony's (N.Y.)   50. Jack Ransom, A, Georgetown | Charlotte Catholic (N.C.)   51. Michael Melkonian, F/O, Cornell | South Side (N.Y.)   52. Luke Warrington, M, Duke | Culver (Ind.)   53. Patrick Grimley, M, Harvard | Ocean City (N.J.)   54. Isaac Cruz, M, Princeton | Pine Bush (N.Y.)   55. Austin Hicks, A, Duke | St. Margaret's Episcopal (Calif.)   56. Chase Robertson, M, Utah | Landon (Md.)   57. Sean Crogan, M, Johns Hopkins | Lexington (Mass.)   58. Jack Schultz, A/M, Maryland | Ridgewood (N.J.)   59. Ian Dykes, M, Duke | Sacred Heart Prep (Calif.)   60. Reece DiCicco, M, Johns Hopkins | Lawrenceville (N.J.)   61. JP Lagunowich, M, Virginia | Chatham (N.J.)   62. Kyle Eggebraten, D, Maryland | Culver (Ind.)   63. Matt McIntee, M, Syracuse | East Islip (N.Y.)   64. Reid Gills, F/O, Penn State | Severn (Md.)   65. Noah Ramirez, M, Lehigh | The Woodlands (Texas)   66. Buck Cunningham, G, Duke | Valor Christian (Colo.)   67. Nate Lucchesi, M, Penn | Radnor (Pa.)   68. Bennett Parmer, A, Delaware | Manheim Township (Pa.)   69. Kyle Bilello, M, Brown | St. Anthony's (N.Y.)   70. Hayes Schreiner, G, Penn State | Springside Chestnut Hill (Pa.)   71. Porter Malkiel, A, Princeton | Jesuit (Ore.)   72. Matt Surin, D, Yale | Taft (Conn.)   73. Chase Picard, M, Georgetown | Holderness (N.H.)   74. Chris Reinhardt, M, Notre Dame | Ridgefield (Conn.), Taft (Conn.) PG   75. Grayson Manning, G, Denver | Royal Bay Academy (B.C.)   76. Ben Burmeister, M, Notre Dame | Staples (Conn.)   77. Ben Morris, A, Boston U. | Bayport-Blue Point (N.Y.)   78. Vincent Bolognino, LSM, Syracuse | Harborfields (N.Y.)   79. Luke Arrighi, G, North Carolina | Bronxville (N.Y.)   80. Ennis Udo, A, Brown | Malvern Prep (Pa.)   81. Robert Plath, D, Georgetown | Brunswick (Conn.)   82. Luke Robinson, M, Cornell | Trinity-Pawling (N.Y.)   83. Carter Hagen, G, Loyola | Darien (Conn.)   84. Mac Mohn, A, Harvard | Shady Side (Pa.)   85. Mason Cook, A, Loyola | Loyola Blakefield (Md.)   86. Ben Dale, A, Providence | Millbrook (N.Y.)   87. Ben Wood, D, Georgetown | Belmont Hill (Mass.), Deerfield (Mass.) PG   88. Liam Powell, D, Delaware | Loyola Blakefield (Md.)   89. Dillon Stephens, D, Syracuse | New Canaan (Conn.)   90. Liam Gregorek, A, Johns Hopkins | Shoreham-Wading River (N.Y.)   91. Ryan Welgos, D, Villanova | Georgetown Prep (Md.)   92. Tyler Eye, LSM, Johns Hopkins | Lawrenceville (N.J.)   93. Sean Magtoto, F/O, Ohio State | Cathedral Catholic (Calif.)   94. Kyle Worsnup, LSM, Rutgers | Malvern Prep (Pa.)   95. Andrew Cook, G, Johns Hopkins | Torrey Pines (Calif.)   96. Brevin Wilson, A, North Carolina | Cannon School (N.C.)   97. Tyler Juhlin, A, Dartmouth | Seton Hall Prep (N.J.)   98. Jacob Vana, M, Princeton | St. John's Prep (Mass.)   99. Henry Weller, D, Michigan | St. John's (D.C.)   100. Beau Hokanson, M, Princeton | La Costa Canyon (Calif.)

This weekend, the college lacrosse season officially kicks off, ushering in a highly anticipated wave of freshman talent eager to make their mark.

Headlining the crop of 23 five-star recruits is Notre Dame midfielder Matt Jeffery, a highly athletic lefty from Cheshire High School in Connecticut. He spent the fall as a wide receiver and special teams contributor for the Fighting Irish football team, appearing in three games before redshirting. Following a trip to the national championship game in Atlanta, Jeffery recently joined the two-time defending champions for preseason preparations in South Bend.

In the top five, he's joined by a pair of his former Eclipse Lacrosse Club teammates — both fellow lefties. No. 2 recruit Kyle Colsey, a Ridgefield product at Virginia, will redshirt this season after suffering a torn ACL in September. Meanwhile, Fighting Irish attackman Brady Pokorny, ranked No. 4, enters college after a stellar career at Darien, where he racked up 285 points. Rounding out the top five are No. 3 recruit Nik Menendez of Duke, the top-ranked defenseman out of Culver (Ind.), along with No. 5 recruit Peter Buonanno, a Princeton attackman from Rhode Island's Moses Brown School. Buonnano made a huge jump from No. 33 in the last rankings, though he was awarded five-star status back in December midway through his postgraduate year at Deerfield.

Now, let's get into a few important details:
— Given the positional interchangeability in lacrosse — such as high school attackmen shifting to midfield — I opted to use the positions listed on each school's online roster.
— OK, disclaimer time: I don't really follow fall ball or preseason scrimmages. I don't go to practices or ask around too much. Although these rankings are being released later than usual (I promise I'll do better next year!), no 'new' names were added, and no changes were made as a result of what happened or what I heard between August 2024 and this week. After all, we're projecting how a player will fare over the course of their entire college career, not predicting who will play early.

Alright, let's roll the ball out and play some lacrosse. Without further ado...