We’ll be writing more about Utah’s 2028 class in the coming days, as the Utes are crushing it with some under-the-radar pickups. That said, Riiber isn’t exactly sneaky, though he is the headliner of Drew McMinn’s class at the moment. The Nevada native has made a name (a great name, might I add) for himself at both Bishop Gorman as a 2027 and Lawrenceville as a 2028 with his gritty play as a shortstick. With game-breaking athleticism and a relentless compete level, he’s all over the field making an impact, and it’s clear he loves playing the position. Riiber plays hard and mostly under control, though there are times when he could stand to rein in his aggression, which feels rather fixable and is, quite frankly, one of those so-called good problems. Formidable both within a system in the spring and on the more loose summer circuit, he’s constantly jamming up dodgers up top, preventing rollbacks and straight-up putting the ball on the ground, while also serving as a tremendous asset in the clearing game. This should almost go without saying, but Riiber will only get better with two more years at Lawrenceville against the schedule the Big Red plays every year.

A known commodity from Las Vegas who reclassed to the ’28 group upon arriving at Lawrenceville, Riiber possesses just about every quality that you’d want in a shortstick defensive midfielder. He clearly loves to play the position and looks to make his presence felt on every possession, often utilizing a crowbar and ragdolling his man to the point that they have no desire to dodge him again. Riiber is relentless and tough as nails, and moves laterally at an elite level. Though he may not be super polished on the offensive end, Riiber is constantly the catalyst for transition opportunities by ending possessions on the other end and then darting upfield. I loved his play for the Big Red this summer, and he was lights out in June, touted by many a college recruiter as one of the very best SSDMs in the Class of 2028.