Midwest 2028s: Five Specialists Knocking on the Rankings' Door

The Midwest is packed with talent, but specialists have gotten the short end of the stick with the 5-in-5 rule put in place this summer. Combined with the roster caps, it makes specialists less valuable to college coaches, which inevitably affected the <a href="https://preplacrosse.com/national/player-rankings/2028-midwest-region-rankings/" data-type="link" data-id="https://preplacrosse.com/national/player-rankings/2028-midwest-region-rankings/">rankings that we released earlier this month.</a>   That said, there's still a ton to like from this group. These four face-off specialists and one goalie have a chance to crack <a href="https://preplacrosse.com/national/player-rankings/2028-midwest-region-rankings/">the 2028 Midwest rankings</a> when it's time to revisit them. Each has real upside, even if they still have parts of their game to improve.   Here are five Midwest specialists who could enter the ranked category in our next update:    One of the main reasons Delger didn't crack the Midwest Top 75 is that I haven't seen him go head-to-head with the top FOGOs in the class this summer. I know his hand speed is good, but it's hard to tell just how good until that happens. At the New Balance All-America event, he absolutely dominated when I saw him across two different halves, going 8-for-10 by my count. The variation on each rep is promising—he shows different ways to win through exits, counters, and pure hustle. He's fast: fast enough to beat the pack to groundballs consistently and to chase down opposing FOGOs, delivering one-handed checks to knock it loose even after a loss. His stick could use some work, but he's one I see with the most technical skills of the bunch.     Chelesvig has made appearances on multiple college coaches' boards, and for good reason. A Wisconsin-bred, cheese-fed frame, he stands out because he's so hard to move, with heavy hands to out-power opponents in the clamp. After setting a school record this spring at over 80% and racking up 270 face-off wins, Chelesvig brought that competitiveness to the summer circuit, going toe-to-toe with some of the top face-off specialists in the class. His ability to win the clamp with quick hands and exit in all directions stands out most in his game. His stick work is showing steady growth, while his brute physicality suggests he can take a beating throughout a college contest. I'd like to see more in his bag against bigger-time FO specialists and cleaner groundball play, but I absolutely love his potential.     When I first saw McAndrew this summer, I thought he moved more like an offensive player than a FOGO. The way he scooped groundballs, held the ball away from defenders, and his confidence with it really stood out. Sure enough, on his spring tape, he's weaving through defenses with face dodges and getting to the middle for great shots. That's what college coaches want to see out of a face-off specialist—one who can play the field, too. I like what he does at X: technically skilled with counters, a strong pinch-and-pop forward, and hard-nosed in the groundball game. He's quick once he gets it, generating a ton of 4v3 fast breaks. The only thing I'm looking to see more of is consistency against top competition, but there's a ton to love about him.     Cooper Dias brought Midwest grit to the big stage this summer, staying competitive against the top face-off specialists in the class. After going 71% at X this spring against Minnesota high school competition, Dias has proved he has the quick hands to win consistently with a pinch-and-pop forward. I like the fundamentals in his stance and hands to fall back on—calm, relaxed, and poised pre-whistle—along with his ability to win tie-ups with the force he generates from his bottom hand. I'm looking for consistency and counters to improve this fall to crack the Midwest rankings.     When opposing teams scout you, the question is: how many different things can you do that they have to plan for? DeNinno does a lot. He's super calm in the cage, never wasting movement and consistently making clean saves all over. His stick is steady; a compact release gets the ball out fast, creates transition opportunities, and lets him throw it on a rope across the field. Those are obvious prerequisites for a keeper.   The X-factor is DeNinno's athleticism and competitiveness. He steals saves from all over—flying pipe to pipe after ball movement or racing back to the cage after 10-man rides and stretching out to get his stick on the ball. He'll pop out of the cage, too, to snag lazy passes behind it, scoop groundballs, and carry the ball beyond the midline on clears. I've only seen DeNinno live once this summer, but that will change this fall. A highlight tape can tell you a lot about a goalie, but you never really know until he faces some of the top shooters in the class. That is when you see not only whether he has the skill to make high-level saves, but also how he responds when the ball inevitably goes in a few times.

The Midwest is packed with talent, but specialists have gotten the short end of the stick with the 5-in-5 rule put in place this summer. Combined with the roster caps, it makes specialists less valuable to college coaches, which inevitably affected the rankings that we released earlier this month.