2027 Recruiting

[wgdsr]

You are assuming that class rankings, evaluators, and stars are as accurate (or even close) in lacrosse as they are in football or basketball. They're not. Apples to oranges.

IL has like 4 bros they send out on the recruiting trail to evaluate some events. Then their "journalists" ask the coaches, who will actually talk to them, who they like the best. They put together rankings from there.

Compare that to football and basketball where hundreds of scouts aggregate rankings by region over hundreds of evaluations at multiple camps.

Not a perfect science either way, but I think one would be fooling themselves to look at lacrosse recruiting class ranking sites and give them the same value as they would a "24/7" from football.

Call it "Cope" all you want. Virginia was 7-9 this year with multiple top ranked recruiting classes. Cornell won the natty with recruiting classes ranked in the 5-20 range. Player development? Maybe. Rankings just aren't as iron clad as the major sports? In my opinion, more likely.

compare lacrosse, with "he can get down the alley and i saw him rip one far pipe in the morning. later that day, he got a slide earlier on his sweep and hit the next guy. looks the part." ... with baseball. just one site, and they have this for 1000's of guys:

Deshaun White Class of 2027 - Player Profile | Perfect Game USA

Deshaun White Class of 2027 Perfect Game Player Profile

www.perfectgame.org

 

[GrowTheGame]

Idc about the star amount attached to a kid, but to be this lagging in general commits is starting to get a tad worrying. I’m sure the staff is working hard, but I wonder how many are misses and how many are we just waiting to decide at this point?

 

[JeremyCuse]

Hearing a couple recruits on campus

 

[Zack80]

According to Inside lacrosse, Cornell had picked up their last top 50 recruit, #36 Andrew Dengler, D, from Garden City.

 

[Powellfan]

Brady Booen to UVA. Another example of why I should never mention a player that SU should look at. He’s ranked #83 by Xanders.

 

[JeremyCuse]

Brady Booen to UVA. Another example of why I should never mention a player that SU should look at. He’s ranked #83 by Xanders.

LOL, your track record the last few years doing that has to be something like 1 for 40. Other schools love when you post, lol.

 

[OrangeXtreme]

 

[Powellfan]

Just 16 Four Star recruits remain uncommitted according to IL. Four Attackmen, four midfielders, one FOGO and seven defenders. The remaining ranked players are: Attackman Brandon Sim (83), midfielder Barret Mullahy (88) and defenseman Noah Pacheco (97).

Attackman Nolan Wieczorek (69), FOGO Henry Zgrondnik (81) A/M Sam Coluzzi (98) and FOGO Tommy Leland (99) are ranked by NLF, along with Mullahy (71) and Sim (87). I don't pay for Xanders' site, so not sure where recruits stand there.

 

[nyclax]

ty has sim at 84 and mullahy at 100. those are his only remaining ranked guys...

im normally down on NLF ranks because chandik is biased as hell but hes the only one who has wieczorek ranked appropriately in the top 100. hes a beast

coluzzi is also very good but hes transfered like 4 times so he might be hard to get a read on...

 

[Powellfan]

 

[Powellfan]

Sim to Cornell. That gives the Big Red six attackmen for this class. I am guessing a few can be moved to midfield or wrongly labeled, but that feels like a lot for one class. Interesting that they are getting their highest ranked guys later in the month.

 

[JeremyCuse]

Idc about the star amount attached to a kid, but to be this lagging in general commits is starting to get a tad worrying. I’m sure the staff is working hard, but I wonder how many are misses and how many are we just waiting to decide at this point?

The class has some real nice pieces but It's a bit odd/concerning maybe confusing as to why the staff hasn't pivoted to some plan B guys. SU brought in 3 guys over the summer, two of which look like absolute steals but that's certainly not something you can count on happening again and none of those three were Attackmen or offensive players period. Perhaps they feel they can flip a kid or two but again that's taking a very big risk. They desperately need another attackmen in this class even if its a bit of a gamble.

 

[Lax Mouse]

From earlier today as well:

4* Aeden Bishai from Lawrenceville to Colgate. (FOGO)

Between him and the Cornell recruits, plenty of talented kids having no trouble choosing to be in upstate NY.

 

[Powellfan]

4 star attackman Jonas Hawkins to Georgetown.

 

[Cuse On 3]

Smh

 

[Powellfan]

Syracuse not mentioned in this, but an interesting listen. Really sounds like the recruiting this year was driven by NIL and "budgets". They referenced budgets over and over again on the pod. Indirectly, they used Penn State as an example of a school with a large athletic money base to get recruits, and hence how they ended ranked in the top five this cycle.

In typical IL form they couldn't be critical for any length of time. They tried to have a "most disappointing" class and listed Maryland, Duke and UVA. Maryland it turns out isn't that dissapointing (pretty accurate, not sure why they were listed), Duke actually has a bunch of five stars but no offensive players (Duke brings in four 5-star offensive players in the '26 class, plus two more ranked recruits in the 2026 class, hence why defense might be more of a priority but they don't mention this).

All they say about UVA is, "INTERESTING". That's all they can muster. I don't want them to slam opposing programs, but I would like some insight every once in a while. I know IL has to keep relationships, but some actual reporting might be helpful now and again.

 

[PhatOrange]

Ryan Chudzinski, big defensemen from Shaker / Sweetlax / Albany Stags just committed to Loyola. I really like this kid.

 

[Zack80]

Maryland it turns out isn't that dissapointing (pretty accurate, not sure why they were listed),

Well, Maryland didn't get any 5 star recruits for the 2nd recruiting class in a row.

Further, Maryland didn't get any top rated close defensemen in the previous 2 classes, and while they did get Evan March in this class, that is it. So Maryland's weakness at recruiting close defensemen is somewhat akin to Syracuse's at getting attackmen.

 

[Powellfan]

Some recent four star commitments -

Benjamin Philips, Defense, St John's (DC) to Bucknell
Matthew Schoonmaker, Midfield, Calvert Hall (MD) to Richmond
Darcey Muegge, Midfield, WRA to Brown.

10 four stars left.

 

[4evaOrange]

Some recent four star commitments -

Benjamin Philips, Defense, St John's (DC) to Bucknell
Matthew Schoonmaker, Midfield, Calvert Hall (MD) to Richmond
Darcey Muegge, Midfield, WRA to Brown.

10 four stars left.

Schoonmaker related to Henry?

 

[OrangeXtreme]

Schoonmaker related to Henry?

Henry is from Oregon.

Matthew is from Maryland

 

[wgdsr]

Well, Maryland didn't get any 5 star recruits for the 2nd recruiting class in a row.

Further, Maryland didn't get any top rated close defensemen in the previous 2 classes, and while they did get Evan March in this class, that is it. So Maryland's weakness at recruiting close defensemen is somewhat akin to Syracuse's at getting attackmen.

that def is really weird, even moreso the total numbers over 3 classes, as d guys don't get the rankings love attackmen do. 3 close d guys in the last 3 classes? they do have 4 lsms, which you'd think tillman has designs on converting 1 or 2. have to assume he'll be portal shopping d next year and maybe the year after unless he has some rabbits up his sleeve.

 

[OrangeXtreme]

 

[OrangeXtreme]

Fayetteville-Manlius lacrosse star carves path to Big Ten program: ‘Want to make a name for myself’

Nate Conley is the latest in a line of brothers to carry the family name to Rutgers lacrosse.

www.syracuse.com

 

[Powellfan]

It appears that all of the four star IL attackmen have committed - Nolan Wieczorek of Massapequa committed to Richmond and Harrison Brown from Highland Park to Yale. It appears that we will have to wait and see how SU fills out that position in the future.

As of now the depth chart for the 2028 season would be:

Charlie Kraftson, R-SR
Payton Anderson, SR
Owen O'Farrell, SR
Liam Banks Jr, JR
Brett Bucktooth Jr, R-Jr
Max Kruger, FR

I'm not sure if Krafston would come back for a redshirt season, and up to this point he hasn't gotten meaningful minutes. I would be surprised if Banks and Bucktooth got significant minutes going forward. Not to mention, in '29 you'd have just three attackmen (again with two I'm not sure will get a lot time) since they skipped over the position in the '26 class. You'd think they would try and load up in the '27 class but that never happened.

Sorry to keep harping on this, it just seems wild that they have such a thin projected lineup for such an important position. Have to imagine that they will be looking hard at the transfer portal next spring, or trying to flip someone in the '26 or '27 class.