Best in the Midwest: Five More 2028s to Know

Without being too much of a prisoner of the moment as the summer circuit winds down, it's hard to argue this isn't one of the better Midwest classes in recent memory.   Having already highlighted Ohio standouts like Parker Old, Erno Merritt, Chase Jackson, and Brayden King, among many others from across the Midwest, these five also earned recognition with outstanding summers of their own.    Coming from one of the better programs in Ohio, Boland has a lot of experience playing both attack and midfield, and likely projects as playing the latter at the next level. The lefty excelled this spring despite missing some time due to injury, then carried that momentum into the summer with an excellent Resolute squad. He's a crafty scorer with a clear nose for the goal, knowing how to get to high-percentage areas for high-quality takes, getting downhill or dragging shortsticks behind the cage on invert looks. While I'd like to see him do more to get open without the ball, I've liked the flashes that I've seen from Boland, along with his soft hands and stick work, and think his best lacrosse is ahead of him.     Between his imposing frame, how well he moves for his size, and his ability in coverage, Chrustowski is a rather intriguing defensive recruit who is surely on the boards of several Top 20 programs. He's got long arms, and uses them to get out on the hands of defenders, though he isn't the type to frequently throw home run checks. Instead, he relies on keeping his stick in the right position, being in the right spots, and moving his feet to disrupt dodgers and move them off their line. At GLE, he doesn't budge, and attackmen are often forced to move the ball elsewhere after trying him. Off-ball, he's arguably the most active voice on his team, an attribute that struck me last week at Long Island Summer Showdown. Though I'd like to see him be a little bit more consistent with the ball in his stick, I absolutely love his upside and will be even more intrigued to follow his progress now that he has transferred from Wheaton Academy (Ill.) to a WRA program that has done a terrific job of developing defensemen in recent years.     A natural 2027 who plans to move to the 2028 class and played with them all year for True, Hornsby is a multi-time First Team All-State pick in Indiana. While he's not the type of midfielder who will consistently win matchups with a pure speed dodge, he instead utilizes powerful jab steps, face dodges, or simple hitches to get his hands free as a dodger. In addition, he isn't above using his 6-foot, 190-pound frame to his advantage to put his shoulder down, as he has quite a power in his game. Hornsby is comfortable with either hand, too, an area of his game he has seemed to improve over time. He also excels at attacking less-than-stellar approaches, off the catch, and on re-dodge opportunities.     Mazur is a behind-the-cage QB presence in a class (and quite frankly, a day and age) that lacks them, so his skill set is at a premium. There's no doubt that he's comfortable all over the field and can make plays from above the cage, but he's at his best when he's surveying the field from below GLE and picking apart defenses. Smooth and efficient, he operates with a ton of energy and is always paying within himself, always in attack mode. Mazur is such a difficult cover because of his explosiveness and shiftiness, changing direction on a dime and making it tough for defenders to get their paws on him. He's also an incredibly creative passer and keeps his teammates on their toes in that sense. Despite not being the biggest cat, I've been struck by his willingness to stick his nose in the dirt and dig out big groundballs.     Playing on a team full of Division I-caliber defenders, Sommers has shown some really solid flashes since I first saw him back in November and then put together a standout sophomore season. Tall, athletic, and an asset on the wings of face-offs, he's smooth off the ground and then is off to the races, making strong decisions with the ball in his stick. Sommers is incredibly active and disruptive with his stick, initiating contact every time and absolutely hounding ball-carriers. He has the athleticism to run with burners out of the midfield, though there are times he overextends or gets caught with a poor approach, so that's an area to clean up. Away from the ball, he does a rather nice job filling space and getting in the passing lanes to make plays.

Without being too much of a prisoner of the moment as the summer circuit winds down, it's hard to argue this isn't one of the better Midwest classes in recent memory.