January Commitments From Impact 2027s

Below is Part II of my review of impact Class of 2027 prospects who gave their verbal commitment to a Division I program in January. ICYMI, <a href="https://preplacrosse.com/2026/01/january-commitments-from-impact-2027s/">here's Part I</a>.    Last week, Flanagan committed to Bellarmine University, and the Knights should be ecstatic about this dynamic midfielder joining their 2026 recruiting class. Flanagan is a hard-nosed and athletic midfielder with an unlimited upside. His quick bursts and filthy change of direction moves allow him to elude multiple defenders on his charges to the cage. Once Flanagan gets his hands free, he will ping a corner, score off hip, or thread a bouncer past the goalie. He can initiate from anywhere on the field, but Flanagan is especially lethal when he gets downhill from up top. Flanagan's ability to absorb stick checks and body contact while dashing to the net will catch opponents by surprise. With his quick lateral movements and physical edge, Flanagan can drop back and play SSDM at a very respectable level. Flanagan's speed and high IQ make him a plus player in the clearing game, too.         Gattie's trifecta of athleticism, polished footwork, and sound fundamentals makes him a disruptive force on the defensive end. When Gattie is defending on-ball, he does a fantastic job of staying glued to ball carriers and keeping pressure on their hands. Eventually, Gattie will cause a turnover via a well-timed slap, lift, or poke. Gattie also has a knack for getting into ball carriers early in their dodge and stopping them cold. Off-ball, Gattie's slides as well as double teams are on point and physical. He also frequently knifes through passing lanes for steals or knocks down ill-advised passes with his stick. Gattie's quick burst and nose for the ball enable him to scoop up GBs in traffic or in the open field. After he has secured possession, Gattie has demonstrated excellent instincts for when to push the fast break versus when to roll into open space and then find an open teammate. The coaching staff at St. Bonaventure must have been thrilled when Gattie recently committed to the Bonnies.     This powerfully built, quick-twitch face-off specialist is taking his talents to UMass for college. During his sophomore campaign, Guyette won 53.4% of his face-offs as he helped push Tabor to the ISL championship game. Of course, Guyette can win face-offs cleanly and then streak into the offensive end to create a scoring opportunity. However, it is the physicality Guyette can bring to the face-off dot that really separates him from other FOGOs. He is one of the best at winning clamps and then bulling his way through his opponent as well as crashing wings in order to get into the offensive end. Then Guyette can use his speed and ability to absorb contact to run through sliding defenders for a dunk around the crease. Guyette's solid frame and strong arms/hands also allow him to drop to the turf and rotate until he can gain leverage on his opponent and secure possession. Those assets, combined with his speed, enable Guyette to hunt GBs and snag those 50/50 balls too. Guyette will take a post-graduate year and enter UMass as a 2028.     In early January, the athletic and versatile Palmieri gave his verbal commitment to Sacred Heart. The Pioneers are adding a 2027 pole who is a master at creating turnovers via crafty stick checks, lifts, pokes, and can-openers. His speed and agility enable Palmieri to track ball carriers for long stretches before he strikes and puts the ball on the turf. Palmieri will then snare the ground ball and use his explosiveness to push the fast break. In transition, Palmieri excels at drawing the point man and then distributing to an open teammate. Another item that pops about Palmieri is his physicality in a crowd. He is extremely adept at boxing out one or more opponents until he can secure the GB. Palmieri will also enter a scrum, use a well-timed shoulder check to create an advantage, and then scoop up the ground ball. The upside of this 2027 pole is ridiculous.     Stewart is an athletic, fleet-footed, and high IQ prospect who recently committed to Vermont. He can run at midfield or attack and play with both hands. In 6v6 action, Stewart's explosive first step and shiftiness enable him to get downhill in a hurry and then score or distribute on the run. Stewart's ability to consistently make the correct decision on whether to shoot or draw the slide and then pass to the open teammate is impressive. He also excels as a standstill shooter who can snipe via powerful overhands or sidearm rips. Stewart's athleticism, change-of-direction moves, and field awareness make him a transition phenom. On the fast break, Stewart is capable of weaving his way through an entire opposing team before he fires on net or drops a dime to a waiting attack. In short, the Catamounts landed an absolute gem in Stewart.

Below is Part II of my review of impact Class of 2027 prospects who gave their verbal commitment to a Division I program in January. ICYMI, here's Part I.