I’m usually not one to give away ranking teasers that won’t be published for another few weeks, but Saunders is well on his way to becoming the second consecutive Calvert Hall Cardinal to be tabbed as the top pure SSDM in the rising junior class. Coming out of Maverik Showtime, where Saunders was named the All-Star Game MVP, Mike Campanile had this to say: “There are not many players in the 2028 class with better feet than CJ Saunders.”

To me, it’s Brown and Saunders. When a shortstick midfielder possesses arguably the best feet in the class — and then backs it up by earning Showtime MVP honors — it’s impossible not to take notice. He was outstanding once again at the National All-Star Games, getting his hands all over top midfield weapons and frustrating them beyond belief. He’s precise and consistent with his checks and ability to maintain physicality; then what he does once the ball is in his stick is special, to say the least. As mentioned in Camp’s previous writeup, he’ll split double teams, elude other elite athletes in the open field, and then make appropriate decisions once he crosses the opposing restraining line. Saunders put up multiple goals, and at one point, got the GB off the wing when a playoff game was tied at six goals apiece, which speaks volumes about who he is. He still needs to bulk up a bit, but that’s not to say that his frame negatively affects him yet.

There are not many players in the 2028 class with better feet than CJ Saunders. His footwork and athleticism show up all over the field, especially in one-on-one defense and the clearing game. Saunders first popped on my radar during Calvert Hall’s early spring scrimmages, and he has stayed consistent into the summer, most recently at the Sweetlax Summer Challenge and Maverik Showtime, where he earned MVP honors.

What has surprised me most is how physical he is in his matchups. He does not look like a defender who will overwhelm opponents with hard cross-checks, but he absolutely can, even against bigger dodgers. The other part of his game that will translate well to the next level is his clearing ability. He is a smooth, skilled mover in the open field who can split double teams, run past riding attackmen, draw defenders and dish it off, and score in a variety of ways when left unchecked.

A phenomenal athlete, Saunders brings all of the necessary intangibles to the shortstick defensive midfield position. Relative to his peers, the way he moves is just flat-out different, as he has the footwork and discipline to match up with top-flight dodgers and ensure that they don’t generate high-quality looks. On top of his blinding speed, I was particularly impressed with how disciplined and dialed he was on slides and how well he played angles. When his man felt like they had a sliver, he closed in on them and took away their ability to get to their desired spot. Quite frankly, I just didn’t see him get beat this weekend. Saunders was physical when he needed to be, but didn’t get himself in trouble. The Calvert Hall program has produced some stellar SSDM prospects, and Saunders appears to be next in line, especially as he continues to develop his stick work.