2028 Offensive Dawgs: NAL Standouts Who Stole the Show

At Prep Lacrosse, we've already covered many of the top offensive names expected to be at the top of college coaches' boards come September. Players like [player_tooltip player_id='125324' first='OJ' last='Ika'], [player_tooltip player_id='36028' first='Harrison' last='Tyler'], [player_tooltip player_id='125307' first='Hunter' last='Hanford'], [player_tooltip player_id='124045' first='Sawyer' last='Bligh'], [player_tooltip player_id='165778' first='Aiden' last='Fournier'], [player_tooltip player_id='25535' first='Cooper' last='Augustine'], [player_tooltip player_id='166380' first='Aidan' last='Dale'], [player_tooltip player_id='166495' first='Sawyer' last='Fasano'] and many more have all been covered and made strong cases as some of the premier offensive talents in the 2028 class. But there's plenty of time before recruiting calls begin — and several more players have proven they belong in that same conversation. Here are five 2028s who raised their stock at the NAL Fall High School Invitational:    With four goals against Mad Dog National, Pawlowski looked unstoppable at NAL, scoring in just about every way possible—off cuts, stepdowns, rollbacks, and finishes in tight. He fits the Sweetlax Upstate mold perfectly: fast-paced, skilled, and confident with the ball.   His dodging ability is what separates him. Pawlowski can score off both long and short dodges, using his change of direction to shake defenders and speed to run past them. On his short dodges, he sells his hitches for dodges and uses them to set up high-quality shots. The lefty is an elite on-the-run shooter with multiple release angles, and in tight, he finishes consistently with fakes and deception. Simply put, Pawlowski is a playmaker built for the next level.     The big lefty is physical, crafty, and capable of scoring in a variety of ways. He's not the fastest player on the field, but his size, hesitation moves, and deception more than make up for it. His frame allows him to lean into defenders and create separation whenever he wants, and his constant change of speed and postures keeps them constantly on their heels. What really sets O'Neil apart is his craftiness. He disguises his intentions so well that his head and eyes show one thing while his stick is doing another. Whether it's a skip pass through traffic, a twister, or a backhand finish, O'Neil's creativity and deception put him over the top and make him a must-see prospect.     Best has a complete skill set that puts him in the elite conversation for the 2028 class. He has top-end speed, quick change of direction, and the nimbleness to absorb contact. He's one of those rare players whose size works to his advantage — smaller, but tough to get your hands on. When defenders try to play him physically, he either runs past them or stops on a dime to shake them. Once he gets that step, he shows the next layer of his game. Best has a compact, fundamental release that's effective both on the run and with his feet set, and he can place it wherever he wants. From X, he sees the field well and punishes defenses that slide early. Off the ball, he's just as dangerous—constantly finding seams and getting his shot off before goalies or defenders can react.     His high off-ball IQ and ability to both dodge and finish are what make [player_tooltip player_id='168673' first='Patrick' last='Smith'] so good. He does a lot of damage behind the cage. As a dodger, defenders are left clueless on how to guard him because he can shake you with his change of direction, and he's a threat to score or feed with both hands. When he gets to goal-line extended, he can lean into his defender to get a shot off, inside roll you, or beat you up the hashes. Finishing-wise, he's very good at faking to move goalies and finishing into the open net. Off the ball, he's great at timing cuts in front of the net. Behind the net, he understands how to fade to force rotations and sneak the pipe to get easy finishes.     Olivier, who re-classed after missing part of the summer with an injury, looks ready to make a major impact moving forward. At 6'3”, he's long, athletic, and loaded with ways to attack a defense. He's a skilled shooter and feeder who's comfortable using both hands, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DQ2SpOLDsFM/?igsh=MXIyN3pocno5dWx4Zw%3D%3D">as seen here.</a> As a shooter, he's quick and compact, generating real velocity on his release. With his feet set, he can sting corners high—or sell that look before pulling it low and freezing goalies. As a passer, he shows great poise and creativity, using his eyes and varying release points to find open teammates without forcing the ball.

At Prep Lacrosse, we've already covered many of the top offensive names expected to be at the top of college coaches' boards come September. Players like OJ Ika OJ Ika 5'11" | 175 lbs | A/M | Left Hand Loomis Chaffee School | 2028 #26 Nation CT , Harrison Tyler Harrison Tyler 5'11" | 175 lbs | A | Right Hand The Lawrenceville School | 2028 #2 Nation NJ , Hunter Hanford Hunter Hanford 5'11" | A | Left Hand Brunswick School | 2028 #4 Nation CT , Sawyer Bligh Sawyer Bligh 5'10" | 170 lbs | M/A | Right Hand Brunswick School | 2028 #16 Nation CT , Aiden Fournier Aiden Fournier 5'11" | 180 lbs | A | Left Hand McDonogh | 2028 #64 Nation MD , Cooper Augustine Cooper Augustine 6'0" | 170 lbs | M | Right Hand Salisbury School | 2028 #82 Nation CT , Aidan Dale Aidan Dale 5'10" | 160 lbs | M | Right Hand St. Anthony's | 2028 #30 Nation NY , Sawyer Fasano Sawyer Fasano 6'4" | 190 lbs | A/M | Left Hand The Benjamin School | 2028 FL and many more have all been covered and made strong cases as some of the premier offensive talents in the 2028 class. But there's plenty of time before recruiting calls begin — and several more players have proven they belong in that same conversation. Here are five 2028s who raised their stock at the NAL Fall High School Invitational:

Owen Pawlowski

HEIGHT 5'9"

WEIGHT 170

POS M/A

CLASS 2028

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Owen Pawlowski

State: Connecticut

School: Salisbury School

Club: Sweetlax Upstate

With four goals against Mad Dog National, Pawlowski looked unstoppable at NAL, scoring in just about every way possible—off cuts, stepdowns, rollbacks, and finishes in tight. He fits the Sweetlax Upstate mold perfectly: fast-paced, skilled, and confident with the ball.

His dodging ability is what separates him. Pawlowski can score off both long and short dodges, using his change of direction to shake defenders and speed to run past them. On his short dodges, he sells his hitches for dodges and uses them to set up high-quality shots. The lefty is an elite on-the-run shooter with multiple release angles, and in tight, he finishes consistently with fakes and deception. Simply put, Pawlowski is a playmaker built for the next level.

Highlights

Landen O’Neil

HEIGHT 6'3"

WEIGHT 215

POS A

CLASS 2028

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Landen O’Neil

State: Massachusetts

School: Tabor Academy

Club: 3d New England

The big lefty is physical, crafty, and capable of scoring in a variety of ways. He's not the fastest player on the field, but his size, hesitation moves, and deception more than make up for it. His frame allows him to lean into defenders and create separation whenever he wants, and his constant change of speed and postures keeps them constantly on their heels. What really sets O'Neil apart is his craftiness. He disguises his intentions so well that his head and eyes show one thing while his stick is doing another. Whether it's a skip pass through traffic, a twister, or a backhand finish, O'Neil's creativity and deception put him over the top and make him a must-see prospect.

Highlights

Wyatt Best

HEIGHT 5'10"

WEIGHT 150

POS M/A

CLASS 2028

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Wyatt Best

State: New York

School: Hackley

Club: Express North

Best has a complete skill set that puts him in the elite conversation for the 2028 class. He has top-end speed, quick change of direction, and the nimbleness to absorb contact. He's one of those rare players whose size works to his advantage — smaller, but tough to get your hands on. When defenders try to play him physically, he either runs past them or stops on a dime to shake them. Once he gets that step, he shows the next layer of his game. Best has a compact, fundamental release that's effective both on the run and with his feet set, and he can place it wherever he wants. From X, he sees the field well and punishes defenses that slide early. Off the ball, he's just as dangerous—constantly finding seams and getting his shot off before goalies or defenders can react.

Highlights

Patrick Smith

HEIGHT 6'0"

WEIGHT 175

POS A/M

CLASS 2028

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Patrick Smith

State: New Jersey

School: Westfield

Club: Leading Edge

His high off-ball IQ and ability to both dodge and finish are what make Patrick Smith Patrick Smith 6'0" | 175 lbs | A/M | Right Hand Westfield | 2028 NJ so good. He does a lot of damage behind the cage. As a dodger, defenders are left clueless on how to guard him because he can shake you with his change of direction, and he's a threat to score or feed with both hands. When he gets to goal-line extended, he can lean into his defender to get a shot off, inside roll you, or beat you up the hashes. Finishing-wise, he's very good at faking to move goalies and finishing into the open net. Off the ball, he's great at timing cuts in front of the net. Behind the net, he understands how to fade to force rotations and sneak the pipe to get easy finishes.

Highlights

Morgan Olivier

HEIGHT 6'3"

WEIGHT 185

POS A/M

CLASS 2028

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Morgan Olivier

State: Georgia

School: Lovett

Club: Thunder

Olivier, who re-classed after missing part of the summer with an injury, looks ready to make a major impact moving forward. At 6'3”, he's long, athletic, and loaded with ways to attack a defense. He's a skilled shooter and feeder who's comfortable using both hands, as seen here. As a shooter, he's quick and compact, generating real velocity on his release. With his feet set, he can sting corners high—or sell that look before pulling it low and freezing goalies. As a passer, he shows great poise and creativity, using his eyes and varying release points to find open teammates without forcing the ball.