Notes From Field 1: Seven 2029s Who Stood Out at IL ID Experience

In Tuesday night's post, <a href="https://preplacrosse.com/2026/10/six-uncommitted-2028-standouts-from-ils-id-experience/">we covered six uncommitted 2028s who stood out on Field 1 at IL's ID Experience</a>. Now, it's the 2029s' turn. In our first look at the class this fall, these seven players caught our eye. Check back in the coming days for Ty Xanders' notes from Field 2.    I first saw Leary at the NILLY event over the summer, where he lit it up working up the hashes on both sides of the cage. He's a bigger, stronger dodger who still moves with athleticism and fluidity, giving him the look of a lefty box player.   As a dodger, he has a deep bag. Operating mostly from the lefty wing, he's comfortable taking whatever the defense gives him. When he sweeps to the middle, he hides the ball well behind him and can shoot around defenders. Force him underneath, and he's just as dangerous from low angles. At IDX, he had a nasty swim move underneath that I thought found the back of the net, though it wasn't counted. Leary already shows a high IQ in the two-man game, reading coverages and taking advantage as both the picker and the dodger. Add in his all-out effort on the ride, and he's an easy addition to my way-too-early 2029 board.     A certified bucket getter, Freeborn was the king of Field 1 on Sunday, finishing with six goals across three games. Listed as a midfielder but playing attack for most of the day, he was absolutely slinging it with his feet set, both as the point man and from the low-right spot on fast breaks. Once the defense starts rotating, his quick release makes it tough for anyone to get in front of his shot. He catches and releases from the same level, wasting little motion whether he's shooting sidearm or overhand. He was dangerous on the run, too, sticking a shot down the alley and scoring another by shooting right around heavy defensive pressure. Freeborn already knows how to get his shot off; now I'll be watching to see how he builds out his dodging and feeding game.     Benny showed the same flashes of excitement as his older brother Makana, a Navy commit who is currently PGing at Avon Old Farms. Is he 5-foot-6? Yes, but he's adapted his game to his size. By my count, Neverosky finished with two goals and four assists across three games, showing off a wide range of skills. His deceptive dodging impressed me most. He's super shifty and bouncy, often leaving defenders looking like they're stuck in mud as he skates right past them. He has strong wrists for his size, allowing him to fire off shots and feeds quickly. He sees slides coming and has multiple ways to feed through the defense, including the flashy behind-the-back pass he showed on Sunday. Add in his great hands and sneaky-good riding ability, and it's easy to look past his height and see a legit player.     Simply put, Simmons can end possessions with takeaways, scoop up the groundball, and make plays at the other end. At IDX, his footwork and checks stood out. He kept dodgers out of the middle and pushed them up the hashes, forcing difficult shots and landing checks that knocked the ball loose. When the ball hit the ground, his speed helped him get there first and beat riding attackmen to the midline. He also delivered two great feeds in transition against the Razorbacks, showing his ability to play LSM, too. I'd like to see him bring a little more physicality to his game to break into that top tier of defenders. With another year in the weight room and guidance from the Brunswick coaching staff, I could see Simmons reaching that level by the summer.     Gervais showed off his dodging skills in a two-man action against the Tigers. As a pick came his way, he paused, then darted underneath for an easy finish at the doorstep. That play captured his feel for dodging. There's an art to bouncing out, squaring up your defender, and redodging to catch him off guard. Gervais has it. It helps that he's a threat to feed during those bounce-outs and pauses, giving defenders more to think about before he attacks again. Add in his deceptive release variations to finish his dodges, and he's already showing the next-level skills you want to see from a sophomore. He also scored at IDX on a cut through the middle of the defense, showing he can make defenders work just as hard when the ball isn't in his stick.     There was no better way to start my '29 fall scouting than with a pole goal. Orndorff got an opposing defender to bite on a hitch-to-face-dodge combo, freeing himself for an easy dunk. The LSM skills are clearly there. He nearly added another goal on a hard cut later in the game, and he's eager to press out on ball carriers and get involved in the groundball game. His communication on defense stood out most. Throughout possessions, he barked out commands to his short sticks, with calls like "Where's my two?" among his constant chatter. Getting young defenders to communicate like that is tough, especially in a showcase setting. On the ball, he played physical defense, bodying up and getting into his matchups. He also saved a goal with a quick, controlled closeout.     Cooper had a great sequence against the Tigers in his first game. He caught the ball on the high righty wing, wound up and hitched to get his defender to bite, then hammered one home with a jump shot. He showed off some impressive releases on the run in that game, too, including a low-to-high take that froze the goalie low before he pulled it upstairs. I see flashes of his older brother Trey, a Rollins commit, in the way Grant dodges. He has plenty of shake and changes of direction to leave his defender trailing, along with the physicality to lean into contact when he needs to free his hands down the alleys or through the middle.

In Tuesday night's post, we covered six uncommitted 2028s who stood out on Field 1 at IL's ID Experience. Now, it's the 2029s' turn. In our first look at the class this fall, these seven players caught our eye. Check back in the coming days for Ty Xanders' notes from Field 2.

Briggs Leary

HEIGHT 6'2"

POS A/M

CLASS 2029

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Briggs Leary

State: Massachusetts

School: Deerfield Academy

Club: Hilltop

I first saw Leary at the NILLY event over the summer, where he lit it up working up the hashes on both sides of the cage. He's a bigger, stronger dodger who still moves with athleticism and fluidity, giving him the look of a lefty box player.

As a dodger, he has a deep bag. Operating mostly from the lefty wing, he's comfortable taking whatever the defense gives him. When he sweeps to the middle, he hides the ball well behind him and can shoot around defenders. Force him underneath, and he's just as dangerous from low angles. At IDX, he had a nasty swim move underneath that I thought found the back of the net, though it wasn't counted. Leary already shows a high IQ in the two-man game, reading coverages and taking advantage as both the picker and the dodger. Add in his all-out effort on the ride, and he's an easy addition to my way-too-early 2029 board.

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Connor Freeborn

HEIGHT 5'10"

POS A/M

CLASS 2029

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Connor Freeborn

State: California

School: Marin Catholic

Club: ADVNC

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Benny Neverosky

HEIGHT 5'6"

POS A/M

CLASS 2029

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Benny Neverosky

State: Maryland

School: Landon School

Club: Hilltop

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Cannan Simmons

HEIGHT 6'1"

WEIGHT 160

POS D/LSM

CLASS 2029

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Cannan Simmons

State: Connecticut

School: Brunswick School

Club: Prime Time

Simply put, Simmons can end possessions with takeaways, scoop up the groundball, and make plays at the other end. At IDX, his footwork and checks stood out. He kept dodgers out of the middle and pushed them up the hashes, forcing difficult shots and landing checks that knocked the ball loose. When the ball hit the ground, his speed helped him get there first and beat riding attackmen to the midline. He also delivered two great feeds in transition against the Razorbacks, showing his ability to play LSM, too. I'd like to see him bring a little more physicality to his game to break into that top tier of defenders. With another year in the weight room and guidance from the Brunswick coaching staff, I could see Simmons reaching that level by the summer.