Five More 2028 Southern Defenders Building Momentum

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I wrote a lot about 2028 players from the South last week (links below), but I had to go back for one more. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><a href="https://preplacrosse.com/2026/08/southern-2028-defenders-bringing-the-heat/" data-type="link" data-id="https://preplacrosse.com/2026/08/southern-2028-defenders-bringing-the-heat/">Southern 2028 Defenders Bringing the Heat</a> <br><a href="https://preplacrosse.com/2026/08/midfield-heat-the-souths-2028-class/" data-type="link" data-id="https://preplacrosse.com/2026/08/midfield-heat-the-souths-2028-class/">Midfield Heat: The South's 2028 Class</a> <br><a href="https://preplacrosse.com/2026/08/southern-firepower-2028-attackmen-to-watch/" data-type="link" data-id="https://preplacrosse.com/2026/08/southern-firepower-2028-attackmen-to-watch/">Southern Firepower: 2028 Attackmen to Watch</a></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Let's take a look at five more Southern defenders who built momentum this summer and have plenty of potential moving forward.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["166673"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6a85f1dd2a7b2"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>At some point this summer, I had to admit to myself that I had overlooked Caden Bennett. He might not look the part, but Bennett is a legit defender. While he has more football ties—his father, Donnell Bennett, was an NFL fullback—Caden could easily choose lacrosse at the next level. He might not match up as well with straight-speed dodgers, but Bennett does a great job staying "sticky" against change-of-direction dodges, as one of his coaches described. You can see the football player in him with his crosschecks. He has extremely strong legs and can bully dodgers around if they try to beat him at his own game.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>At NASG, Bennett impressed me in his matchups, especially with how he smothered dodges with crosschecks up the hashes and underneath on the wings. He also might qualify as a takeaway defender. He stays on hands, times his checks, and has some clip-worthy takeaway checks that you have to give him credit for. When the ball hits the turf, he gets it up and out well, and can even put it in the back of the net if you do not respect him.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["202264"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6a85f1dd2aa19"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Koehler is everything you want in an LSM. His athleticism shows up all over the field, and his stick is outstanding. College coaches love LSMs who can not only apply pressure between the lines, but also strap up and play good defense inside the box. Koehler is one of those guys. He matches feet well with quicker dodgers and can throw takeaway checks when he gets a favorable matchup. Off the ball, he positions himself well, and I saw him come away with a couple of interceptions at Naptown. When he snatches a pass or scoops a groundball, the way he pushes tempo is straight-up dangerous. You can see his stick skills in his slick finishes in tight and the different release points he uses on stepdown shots.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["202262"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6a85f1dd2a98e"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Braner's size and playmaking ability make him a clear candidate for a division one school. It seemed like every game I saw him in, I had a note about how he caused a turnover. On the ball, he moves his feet well to stay with dodgers, where he will get in a nicely timed check now and then. Off the ball is where his instincts thrive. He's like a safety in football in the way he can snuff out lazy passes to pick them off or knock them down. After he picks up groundballs, he gets up and out as well as anyone. His stick could use a little work, but when you push the tempo like he does, more often than not something comes out of it in transition.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["202258"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6a85f1dd2a8f9"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>When I go back and look at my notes from Smith's summer, I see a ton of comments about his off-ball play. His IQ in orchestrating a defense is apparent. His anticipation in rotating on defense, sliding to the ball, and converting on backside doubles was elite. When ball carriers looked to throw a lazy adjacent pass or skip, he feasted on them. In the spring, he was a takeaway defender against McCallie's Tennessee schedule. This summer, he showed more as a sit-down defender, but he will still get one every now and then. He looked solid off the ground and with his stick work, helping his teams in those areas too.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["202260"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6a85f1dd2a869"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">An absolute tree at 6'8", Collins is a defender who is hard to forget. While he is seen as more of a project, his length alone is enough to get him on a Division I team. His reach allows him to stay on dodger's hands and close out even when he is not glued to his matchup. Off the ball, he plays with an athletic stance that allows him to cover a lot of space and constantly show on slides and rotations without always having to go. His groundball play has been solid enough to impact the game off the wings on face-offs, and his stick gets him out of trouble and keeps him steady in the clear.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->