Justified Hype: Class of 2028 Summer Recruiting Preview

Since early fall, our scouts have zeroed in on the 2028 class to get familiar with a group that offers unmistakable potential and impressive depth of elite talent, particularly on the offensive end.   Like the Division I coaches who shifted their attention to the '28s in November, we approached the process with patience — gathering information and identifying players to follow through the spring and into the summer rather than placing too much weight on evaluations made before recruits had even started their sophomore seasons or rising junior summer.   In years past, I've been guilty of getting overly bullish on a class before the summer, only for some of those early impressions to prove misleading. With that in mind, I've tried to be more measured this time around. Even so, I feel confident saying this 2028 group has the potential to be one of the strongest classes to come through in the last decade. There's a level of top-end talent that hasn't been seen in the last few cycles, and we got an early look at much of it last summer as several of the biggest names played club ball with the '27s and/or thrived early for the nation's most reputable high school programs.   With the recruiting circuit ramping up this weekend, now feels like the right time to take a closer look at some of the most compelling storylines and players in the 2028 class. More extensive evaluations can be found on each player's profile, with more updated notes inevitable in the days and weeks ahead.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Lefty Love</h2>   The Class of 2027 cycle featured a surplus of elite left-handed offensive talent near the top of the rankings: of the 13 offensive five-stars, six were left-handed, along with the highest-ranked four-star recruit.   Early evals suggest the '28 class could follow a similar script, which should make the early September rat race even more compelling. After their success targeting that market last year, how will programs like North Carolina and Penn State navigate the pursuit of 2028 lefties? It's an intriguing storyline on its own, but even more so with college coaches expecting the 5-for-5 proposal to gain approval later this month.   The race for the No. 1 overall spot is wide open at this early point, though Tabor Academy (Mass.) lefty attackman [player_tooltip player_id='168588' first='Landen' last='O'Neil'] has emerged as the early frontrunner. Fellow southpaws [player_tooltip player_id='125324' first='OJ' last='Ika'] (Loomis Chaffee, Conn.), [player_tooltip player_id='125307' first='Hunter' last='Hanford'] (Brunswick, Conn.), and [player_tooltip player_id='129136' first='Will' last='Niejadlik'] also impressed this spring and project comfortably as potential Top 10 prospects. Beyond those names, there's notable depth among the left-handed group, and this could ultimately end up even better than the '27 class.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Searching for Shutdown Defenders</h2>   Defense has evolved significantly in recent years, and club and showcase lacrosse have never been especially conducive to evaluating close defensemen.   Poles are being isolated far less often, with offensive players frequently instructed to “bury the pole” and force switches or matchups elsewhere. At the same time, shortstick defensive play has taken a noticeable step forward. It has always been difficult to project high school defensemen to the next level, but that challenge feels more pronounced than ever.   Two summers ago, it was tough to find high-end close defenders in the '26 class. A few established themselves during the high school season, but in many cases, evaluators have had to play the long game. To a degree, I feel some similarities with the '28 class, though I'm much more optimistic about what I see at LSM. However, there's minimal flexibility in terms of Top 50 caliber recruits that can play up top and down low well enough to warrant playing close at the next level.   The LSM position has looked especially strong, though that's typically the case, as longstick midfielders tend to be easier to evaluate early on with their work on the wings and in transition. Right now, these seven are highest on my Big Board (in alphabetical order):   [player_tooltip player_id='121345' first='Max' last='Delvescovo'] | Malvern Prep (Pa.) | Freedom [player_tooltip player_id='172334' first='Casey' last='Gilchrist'] | Massapequa (N.Y.) | Team 91 LI [player_tooltip player_id='125507' first='Walker' last='Harvey'] | Berkshire (Mass.) | Eclipse [player_tooltip player_id='120145' first='Mason' last='Kennedy'] | Lassiter (Ga.) | Thunder [player_tooltip player_id='167954' first='Max' last='Melchionni'] | Delbarton (N.J.) | Leading Edge [player_tooltip player_id='169937' first='Cooper' last='Smoragiewicz'] | Summit (N.J.) | BBL [player_tooltip player_id='167971' first='Connor' last='Song'] | Episcopal Academy (Pa.) | Brotherly Love, Red Hots   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Miscellaneous Notes</h2>   — We've written about them a bunch, but Brunswick's 2028 class is as advertised. Throughout the spring, there were multiple instances where Hanford, [player_tooltip player_id='124045' first='Sawyer' last='Bligh'], [player_tooltip player_id='124043' first='Austin' last='Tuttle'], and [player_tooltip player_id='125299' first='David' last='Giuriceo'] were all on the field at the same time, with [player_tooltip player_id='125418' first='Parker' last='Baras'], [player_tooltip player_id='129638' first='James' last='McGinty'], and even Bligh having significant SSDM and transition roles.   With 'Wick continuing to operate as a pipeline to UVA, it will be interesting to see how many ultimately end up in Charlottesville. Separately, Bligh — recently ranked as the NLF's top recruit in the class — will be one of the more closely watched prospects in the cycle given his versatility and ability to impact the game in multiple ways. The California-bred Connecticut transplant is able to make plays at attack, midfield, or even SSDM, though we can rule out shortstick being a part of his role at the next level, given that he's too vital a piece elsewhere.   —  Beyond what's coming out of Midwest powers Western Reserve and Culver, there seems to be quite a bit of talent coming out of the region in this cycle, with Ohio-based Resolute looking loaded in the 2028 class.   There's no shortage of '28 talent in the South, and as we've seen in recent years, the Western region has a highly talented crop, though looks may be deceiving given how many of those players are playing for prep schools on the East Coast.

Since early fall, our scouts have zeroed in on the 2028 class to get familiar with a group that offers unmistakable potential and impressive depth of elite talent, particularly on the offensive end.