Breaking Down The '25 Face-Off Specialists Ranked 6-10

On Thursday, <a href="https://preplacrosse.com/2025/04/midseason-big-board-class-of-2025-face-off-specialists/">we unveiled our Top 20 face-off specialists</a> in the senior class as part of a Midseason Big Board series. Today, we're breaking down the players ranked 6-10.    Strong as an ox, Fitzgerald is a freakish athlete with a high ceiling. Interestingly enough, his game compares closely to Princeton face-off specialist and fellow Main Line native Andrew McMeekin — he's physical, fast, and built for transition play. Fitzgerald wins the clamp due to pure explosiveness and never hesitates to initiate contact during exits. He's dangerous off the whistle, highly capable with the ball in his stick, and plays with a chip on his shoulder. Fitzgerald has been a crucial part of Taft's success over the years and will bring the same kind of energy to Princeton.     For the first time since the Class of 2018 recruiting cycle, the Big Red went outside the state of New York for their face-off guy, dipping into the ISL to grab a proven talent. Friedman has been utterly dominant in one of the nation's top leagues, though he's been on a limited pitch count as a senior since returning from injury. His clamp-to-exit progression is fluid, and he's been revered as one of the more coachable guys in the class. He plays smart, fast, and with great spatial awareness, showing that he's not just a FOGO, rather a lacrosse player who happens to dominate at the X. Cornell is getting a cerebral player with an elite motor.     With a powerful frame and skill set that closely resembles that of Alex Woodall, Furshman brings an intimidating presence to the dot. He's strong in the lower half and wins draws through a combination of leverage and strength. Helping Benjamin make national statements in March, he's a high IQ player who adapts well as games progress, making him hard to scheme against. With a ton of highly touted face-off specialists headed to the Ivy League, it will be intriguing to see how Furshman fares, especially considering the fact that he'll also be playing football for the Brown Bears.     Hailing from the Albany area, Gaylord endeared himself to evaluators during his recruiting summer, particularly during a dominant campaign at Maverik Showtime. Possessing a strong and athletic frame, Gaylord is a tactician at the X, masterfully winning the ball with his counters whenever he's not winning it cleanly and to himself. He has explosive hand speed and a powerful lower body that allows him to gain leverage against his opponents, plus he's proven to be formidable with the ball upon gaining possession. With Richmond set to graduate Jared Chenoy, the expectation is that Gaylord will come in and fight for reps alongside rising junior Jackson Strickland, so the Spiders will be in great shape at the X for years to come.     Flipping from Bucknell to Georgetown shortly before Signing Day in November, Cody's name has skyrocketed up my board ever since he popped onto my radar late in the game. Having been battle-tested in two of the nation's very best high school conferences, Cody was lights out with Loomis Chaffee in the fall and has had an excellent postgrad season with the Pelicans. A quick-handed technician who is precise with his counters and tough in scrums, Cody uses his athleticism to his advantage after he wins the ball. Although Georgetown seems to be in a favorable position with Ross Prince only a rising sophomore, Cody will provide much-needed depth to the Hoyas' face-off unit, though it wouldn't be a shock to see him vie for reps early.

On Thursday, we unveiled our Top 20 face-off specialists in the senior class as part of a Midseason Big Board series. Today, we're breaking down the players ranked 6-10.