Final Class of 2025 Rankings: Unveiling Prep Lacrosse’s Top 150

In the coming days, incoming freshmen will arrive on campus with a clean slate — their high school accomplishments are now in the rearview, while the college stage looms like the long, winding road ahead.

For the first time in the sport’s history, we’ve rolled out a Top 150, offering a forward-looking projection of their potential impact at the next level rather than a reflection of their past success in high school and club ball. As always, this list is less about what they’ve done and more about what they might become.

Former McDonogh (Md.) attackman Brendan Millon Brendan Millon 6'0" | 170 lbs | A | Right Hand McDonogh | 2025 #1 Nation MD , an incoming first-year at Virginia, starts and finishes in the No. 1 spot (to no one’s surprise). Set to play for the United States’ U-20 team that opens up play in the World Games this weekend, Millon helped the Eagles to three consecutive MIAA titles as an underclassman, then racked up 50 goals and 34 assists as a senior despite missing time due to injury. He’ll reunite with his older brother McCabe, the former No. 2 recruit in the Class of 2023, down in Charlottesville.

Jumping into the No. 2 spot is another member of the U-20 team, former Half Hollow Hills (N.Y.) midfielder Anthony Raio Anthony Raio 6'1" | 175 lbs | M | Right Hand Half Hollow Hills | 2025 #2 Nation NY , an incoming freshman at North Carolina who was formerly ranked 10th in the Class of 2025. A high-flying athlete who added a considerable amount of polish to his game since his recruiting summer, Raio put up a ridiculous 99-goal, 77-assist stat line as a senior for the state champions and ended his career with 469 points, posting 283 goals to become Long Island’s all-time leader in that category.

Incoming Virginia freshman and former Spalding (Md.) longstick midfielder Robby Hopper Robby Hopper 6'5" | 190 lbs | LSM/D | Right Hand Spalding | 2025 #3 Nation MD moves up two spots from No. 5 to No. 3; however, such a small promotion doesn’t tell the full story of just how much the 6-foot-5 playmaker improved his game in his final two seasons. Able to change the momentum of a game in the blink of an eye, Hopper was a sideline-to-sideline presence for the Cavaliers, tallying 11 goals, eight assists, 71 GBs, and 33 caused turnovers in his last hurrah.

Viewed as the most coveted midfielder in the class two summers ago, UNC recruit and St. Anthony’s (N.Y.) grad Gary Merrill Gary Merrill 6'1" | 195 lbs | M | Right Hand St. Anthony's | 2025 #4 Nation NY occupies the No. 4 spot after registering 40 goals and 16 assists for the CHSAA champions. He made tremendous strides in his final spring with the Friars after recording a rather modest stat line of 19 goals to go with 12 helpers as a junior. Originally planning to play both football and lacrosse with the Tar Heels, Merrill left the football team a few weeks into the summer, and the sky is the limit now that he’ll be able to focus on playing one sport.  

Fellow Team 91 Long Island product Matt Higgins Matt Higgins 5'10" | 155 lbs | A | Right Hand Boys' Latin | 2025 #5 Nation MD , a Northern California transplant and Boys’ Latin (Md.) graduate, slides up into the No. 5 spot (from No. 16) after dramatically improving his game in the MIAA. Higgins, who also played club ball for West Coast Starz and ADVNC, was off the charts — particularly in his final two years as a Laker — and notched 44 goals and 39 assists as a senior. Though he projects impeccably well at the next level, Higgins is set to join a downright loaded veteran group on the offensive side of the ball, so he could be a redshirt candidate in 2026.

For the full Top 150 and Prep Lacrosse’s analysis on many of the ranked players, subscribe and head to the link!

— Six recruits were bumped up to five-star status after being named four-stars as rising juniors:

— Four recruits dropped from five-stars down to four-stars, but remained in the Top 50

— In addition to newly minted five-stars Nurry and MacFarland, seven more recruits made their way into the Top 50 after missing the initial list as rising juniors:

Ranked 9th in the Class of 2026 a year ago, former Lawrenceville (N.J.) lefty attackman Hansen Peck Hansen Peck 5'10" | 155 lbs | A | Left Hand Lawrenceville (N.J.) / Schuylerville (N.Y.) | 2025 #35 Nation NJ will transfer back home to Schuylerville (N.Y.), graduate early, and enroll at Syracuse, where he’ll redshirt during the 2026 season. He is now ranked among the Class of 2025, his original class.

According to multiple sources, top-ranked 2026 recruit Dylan Faison Dylan Faison 6'2" | 160 lbs | M | Right Hand St. Andrew's | 2026 #1 Nation FL (St. Andrew’s, Fla.) could potentially graduate this winter and enroll at Notre Dame, where he’ll be joining the football and lacrosse teams. Faison is still ranked with the 2026s, as nothing is set in stone yet.