Southern 2028 Defenders Bringing the Heat

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Prep Lacrosse is gearing up for its fall 2028 regional rankings, and the South has plenty of defensive talent to offer. [player_tooltip player_id='120145' first='Mason' last='Kennedy'], Kevin Kirspel, and [player_tooltip player_id='174022' first='Vincent' last='Riccio'] are among the first names that come to mind. Here are five more Southern defenders who brought the heat this summer.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["201964"],"_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-6a7b5def06911"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">New comes from a lacrosse family, and his game resembles that of his older brother, Sean, a defenseman who was the first Holy Cross player drafted into the PLL. Cullen looks a little thin at first glance, but his game does not play that way. If he is rotating to the ball, opponents better watch out because he is more than likely going to slide with his body. His off-ball play has really impressed me throughout the summer, as he times his slides well to stop the ball and jumps ball carriers to create doubles. When he is on the ball, his footwork stands out, and he stays aggressive with his hands. His summer tape is loaded with takeaway checks, just like I saw at Showtime, where he was selected as an All-Star.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["178815"],"_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-6a7b583f86004"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Ramstein was one of my favorite defenders at Best in Class in June, and I have had the chance to watch him at multiple events since. His ceiling is incredibly high because of his athletic ability. You can see it in the way he moves after scooping groundballs — toe drags, spins, and handling pressure before it collapses. On the ball, he gets away from the fundamentals at times, but it does not matter as much because his athleticism allows him to recover and he rarely gets beat. When I did see him get scored on, it was usually because of something he did off the ball. A couple more years in high school, plus quality defensive coaching at the next level, and Knox will develop into a high-level defender.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["201674"],"_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-6a7b583f8603b"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">After watching Westmoreland at NASG, I thought he had all the makings of a Division I defenseman. He uses his strength and physicality to lock down the back end of a defense. In one-on-one defense, he stays on hands until it is time to body up. He plays with a wider base and does not have the quickest feet yet, but his physicality makes up for it. He has a strong cross-check and V-hold to push dodgers out of dangerous areas. Off the ball, he gets his stick into passing lanes and rotates quickly and under control. His stick looked steady in the clear, where he reads the field well without trying to do too much in transition.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["201980"],"_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-6a7c759d9beaf"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>When I saw Cooke at Main Stage, he made a play that stuck in my mind. He used his size to his advantage, scooped up a physical groundball, absorbed a hit while staying in bounds, and made a good feed that nearly turned into an assist. From his highlight tape, it looks like he made a ton of similar plays this spring, both on the defensive end and off the wing on face-offs. On the defensive end, he uses that same physicality on the island and when he slides to the ball. Cooke has all the qualities you look for in a future big-time defenseman.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["142885"],"_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-6a7b583f8606e"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Lattimore, a Showtime invitee, made a timely check against an attackman going up the hashes that made me pay closer attention to his game. The two parts of his game that really stand out are his groundball play and sliding ability. Off the ground, he navigates his pole well to goose balls or scoop them in tight spaces. Once he has possession, he pushes the tempo and handles the ball well while looking to draw rotations. When he slides and rotates, he is on time and finds opportune moments to jump ball carriers. On the ball, he presses out well, but I would like to see him play more fundamental one-on-one defense.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block -->