National ASG Heat Check: How Did Some of the Top 2028s Finish?

Over the past week, we've covered 20+ new names who balled out at the National All-Star Games, with those pieces linked below. Today, we're highlighting five names that are at or near the top of the class at their respective positions — players who have been so consistently impressive that we could probably write them up at every event if we wanted to. Since NASG served as the final event of the July summer circuit, we're diving deeper into what makes them special and how each '28 performed to close things out. <a href="https://preplacrosse.com/2026/07/national-asg-2028s-offensive-weapons-who-finished-strong/">Offensive Weapons Who Finished Strong</a> <a href="https://preplacrosse.com/2026/07/national-asg-2028s-offensive-weapons-who-finished-strong-part-2/">Offensive Weapons Who Finished Strong, Part II</a> <a href="https://preplacrosse.com/2026/07/national-asg-2028s-six-east-coast-defenders-who-popped/">Six East Coast Defenders Who Popped</a> <a href="https://preplacrosse.com/2026/07/national-asg-2028s-shortstick-d-middies-who-turned-heads/">Shortstick D-Middies Who Turned Heads</a>    From what I've gathered, Brown entered the final event of the summer as the No. 1 close defender on a lot of boards, so while he didn't have much left to prove, he played as if he did. Simply put, his feet and hips are elite. He moves impeccably well and is always in the proper position to prevent his matchup from doing much of anything. Throughout the summer, he erased some of the better attackmen in the class, and while New Jersey's schedule didn't pit him against many marquee names, Brown's impact was undeniable. As he's become known for, he sparked the offense in transition and ran fast breaks to perfection. Away from the ball, he was a vocal organizer, constantly directing traffic and getting his fellow defenders where they needed to be. This class is loaded with defenders who can handle the rock at a high level—many of them pure LSMs, where Brown played this past spring—but he's right there with the very best in that department.     <a href="https://preplacrosse.com/2026/07/new-names-from-nal-class-of-2028-speedsters-who-turned-heads/">Since we evaluated Jackson after NAL and Naptown a few weeks ago</a>, he's done nothing but continue to produce and elevate his stock. A bona fide horse at 6'3 and 190 to 200 pounds, he's incredibly consistent, if anything. At the National All-Star Games, I had him down for seven goals across the three full games that I caught, including a hat trick in the semifinals in a thrilling OT win over New Jersey. There's no doubt that while Jackson could win his matchups at will, he was selflessly sharing the ball by drawing slides and helping his teammates benefit from the attention he drew. What's striking about Jackson, among other things, is how much ground he can cover with just a few steps, and it often seems like he can just put his foot in the ground and all of a sudden, the ball is in the back of the net. Just about every shot is a high-percentage one, as he gets back to the middle with relative ease even when slides are coming early and often.     I'm usually not one to give away ranking teasers that won't be published for another few weeks, but Saunders is well on his way to becoming the second consecutive Calvert Hall Cardinal to be tabbed as the top pure SSDM in the rising junior class. Coming out of Maverik Showtime, where Saunders was named the All-Star Game MVP, <a href="https://preplacrosse.com/2026/06/maverick-showtime-2028-and-2029-all-star-game-standouts/">Mike Campanile had this to say</a>: "There are not many players in the 2028 class with better feet than CJ Saunders."   To me, it's Brown and Saunders. When a shortstick midfielder possesses arguably the best feet in the class — and then backs it up by earning Showtime MVP honors — it's impossible not to take notice. He was outstanding once again at the National All-Star Games, getting his hands all over top midfield weapons and frustrating them beyond belief. He's precise and consistent with his checks and ability to maintain physicality; then what he does once the ball is in his stick is special, to say the least. As mentioned in Camp's previous writeup, he'll split double teams, elude other elite athletes in the open field, and then make appropriate decisions once he crosses the opposing restraining line. Saunders put up multiple goals, and at one point, got the GB off the wing when a playoff game was tied at six goals apiece, which speaks volumes about who he is. He still needs to bulk up a bit, but that's not to say that his frame negatively affects him yet.     Back in 2025, Smith, a California transplant who moved to Garden City, set a program record with 46 goals and 27 assists as a freshman before following that up with 47 goals and 25 assists as a sophomore, despite drawing significantly more attention from opposing defenses. Smith has been featured extensively on this site, but for whatever reason, it had been nearly a year since his last written evaluation.   Since then, all he has done is continue to elevate his stock event by event, cementing himself as one of the premier lefties — if not one of the very best players — in a class loaded with talented left-handed attackmen. Smith is incredibly fluid in every facet of the game, consistently beating his man off the dodge, off the catch, and as a feeder — an area of his game that flourished at NASG and one that I admittedly underestimated entering the summer. He's advanced with his stick skills and lacrosse IQ, seemingly processing the game a step ahead of opposing defenses and consistently making the right read. He remains poised when slides come, rarely forcing the issue, and does an excellent job taking whatever the defense gives him. At this stage, it's difficult to identify holes in his game, and he was simply a steady, productive presence at every stop this summer.     <a href="https://preplacrosse.com/2026/07/nlf-heat-check-how-did-some-of-the-top-2028s-fare-on-the-island/">As mentioned in a similar piece coming away from the NLF Summer Championships a few weeks ago</a>, Varone and Chaminade's Ben Hristoforatos are widely considered 1A and 1B in terms of offensive midfielders in this class. Last weekend, the stud middie from South Jersey was outstanding once again. At one point, he had recorded a hat trick before I could even sit down at that field after coming over from another game, which properly illustrates his ability to boost his team by scoring in bunches. Varone is a dynamo who can create his own shot whenever he wants, and can do so with either hand, making one move and going hard to the rack. There are times he makes it look effortless, too, despite going full speed and in attack mode at all times. He's wildly athletic and tough as nails, scooping up gritty groundballs in scrum scenarios then darting upfield. In addition, he has blossomed in recent months as a passer and throws the ball around with poise and confidence. On top of being up for one of the top-ranked players in the class, he's certainly considered among the top five shooters, and his shot on the run is a thing of beauty, to say the least.

Over the past week, we've covered 20+ new names who balled out at the National All-Star Games, with those pieces linked below. Today, we're highlighting five names that are at or near the top of the class at their respective positions — players who have been so consistently impressive that we could probably write them up at every event if we wanted to. Since NASG served as the final event of the July summer circuit, we're diving deeper into what makes them special and how each '28 performed to close things out.

Offensive Weapons Who Finished Strong
Offensive Weapons Who Finished Strong, Part II
Six East Coast Defenders Who Popped
Shortstick D-Middies Who Turned Heads