Follow the NLF on Instagram, Twitter, YouTube and Facebook. 

NLF Class of 2025 Rankings

Brendan Millon maintains No. 1 spot
Gary Merrill, Jackson Maher headline 2-10 group

11. Anthony Drago, attack/midfield, West Essex (N.J.) / BBL ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

One of the most versatile offensive players in the class, Drago is a threat wherever he has the ball. While he’s an excellent prospect at both attack and midfield, the general consensus is that he has the most upside at midfield. Regardless, he’s a mismatch who uses his size and two-handed shooting ability to leave defenses scrambling. He buried 64 goals and added 32 assists as a sophomore after hitting the 100-point mark as a freshman. A sneaky good feeder, Drago also got a lot of praise from college coaches for his extremely high compete level.

Advertisement

12. Cam Kelley, attack, Salisbury (Conn.) / Prime Time ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Kelley’s gamebreaking ability is up there with anyone in the class. The 6-2, 190-pound lefty has games where he’s completely unstoppable. He marries an outstanding blend of high-level athleticism, a hard shot and a deceptively good first step for a player of his size. Kelley, who helped Prime Time take home titles at the Prime Time Invitational and Naptown, can cause mismatches with his ability to dodge in space and get his hands free. He’s an underrated passer, particularly with the attention that he can draw on the wing. Kelley will make an excellent addition to perennial New England powerhouse Salisbury next spring.

13. Wyatt Bowman, midfield, Georgetown Prep (Md.) / Express North ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

One of the summer’s biggest revelations, Bowman is straight out of ACC central casting for a midfielder. The 6-5, 210-pounder stands way above the rest of his midfield peers, and his best asset is his ability to create offense in transition. He’s still growing into his body – a scary thought – and needs to become more consistent, but betting on that athleticism and those measurables seems like a safe bet. The One Percent Offensive MVP has a heavy shot and the ability to take over a game at a moment’s notice.

14. Anthony Raio, midfield, Half Hollow Hills West (N.Y.) / Team 91 Long Island Shock ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

College coaches love Raio for his consistency and ability to do a little bit of everything. He erupted for 90 points as a sophomore this spring at Hills, then parlayed it into an outstanding summer where he and NLF No. 2 Gary Merrill (St. Anthony’s, N.Y.) gave defenses fits as an elite 1-2 punch in the Team 91 midfield. Raio moves really well and does an excellent job of creating separation to unleash a rocket of a shot. He’s also a solid and effective feeder from up top.

Defensively, he’s a willing and eager participant and easily runs by most in the open field. He also averaged 26 yards per catch on the football field as a sophomore, lending credence to his explosiveness.

15. Will Pedicano, LSM, Delbarton (N.J.) / Leading Edge ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Pedicano drops five spots from his initial ranking, though that’s essentially just a byproduct of him battling injuries all summer long and others playing their way up the list. The 6-3, 190-pounder is still an elite playmaker in the middle of the field, but he also covers better than most LSMs in the class.

As a Delbarton sophomore, Pedicano often found his way onto the field to spell four-star senior Jake Melchionni (Leading Edge / Villanova). That’s no small feat for a Green Wave program that rarely entrusts underclassmen in that type of role. Also an excellent soccer player, Pedicano has good footwork, elite takeaway skills and might have the prickliest disposition of any defensive player in the class. Pedicano’s got an outstanding stick and is always a threat to score once he crosses the restraining line.

He slides to inflict pain and relishes the opportunity to put his shoulder into somebody’s chest. Once he returns to full strength, it’s hard to imagine that he won’t once again compete for top 10 honors.

16. Teddy Lally, attack, Thayer (Mass.) / Laxachusetts ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Lally and Matty Higgins (see one spot below) are neck-and-neck as the consensus No. 2 X attackmen in the class. At 6-1, 170, Lally’s got a little bit better size. Also a good hockey player, Lally posted an impressive stat line of 37 goals and 14 assists this spring for Thayer. He guided Laxachusetts to a title at their home event, the Legacy Invitational, and helped them reach the quarterfinals at NLF. He also went off for seven goals and an asisist in a game against Philly at the Nike Nationals and helped New England to a berth in the title game. Lally has excellent bounce and burst from X, which allow him to turn the corner and put a ton of strain on defenses.

“He’s the best player in the class,” one top 25 head coach said.

“Lally is high end,” one ACC assistant said. “He’s got a lot of bounce. His vision is really good and he glides faster than most can run.”

17. Matty Higgins, attack, Boys’ Latin (Md.) / Team 91 Long Island Shock / West Coast Starz ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Higgins vaults into the top 20 and five-star territory after a terrific rookie campaign for the Lakers and an outstanding summer capped off by helping Team 91 to an NLF national title. He helped Boys’ Latin to a spot in the MIAA semifinals on the strength of a balanced 29-goal, 23-assist season. Higgins was excellent as an initiator from X, using his quick burst and explosiveness to beat defenders to both score and feed. He had a particularly good rapport with Team 91 four-star Matt Triolo (John Glenn, N.Y.), often linking up with the lefty sniper for a ton of goals.

“Higgins plays big-time lacrosse,” one power conference offensive coordinator said. “Playing for three years at Boys’ Latin is something that I see a ton of value with, and he showed a ton of competitiveness in a really tough environment.”

18. Luke Bair, midfield, St. Paul’s (Md.) / Team 91 Maryland ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

No midfielder elevated his stock more this summer than Bair. He put together a strong sophomore campaign at St. Paul’s, pocketing 26 goals and dishing out 21 assists en route to collecting All-MIAA honors. At 5-10, 180 pounds, he’s a little on the smaller side, but makes up for it with great speed and explosiveness to go along with two-handed shooting ability.

“Bair creates his own shot whenever he wants to,” said an offensive coordinator from an NCAA tournament team. “I don’t know how many can create their own shot the way he does. His ability to create offense is going to translate well to the next level.”

19. Chris Alexis, midfield, Salisbury (Conn.) / SweetLax Florida ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

There aren’t many, if any, midfielders in the class who can take advantage of an unsettled situation quite like Alexis can. He will also quickly abuse a lack of slide once he dodges down the alley, and he’s shown a penchant for scoring low-angle goals. He’s also the class’ premier athlete and his speed and quickness in the open field are something to behold.

A Main Stage All-Star, Alexis missed much of June with an injury but bounced back to put together a solid July. That included an overtime game-winner in SweetLax’s first game at NLF. He’s lightning in a bottle, and if he can continue to improve his overall offensive game, look out.

20. Khalif Hocker, attack, St. Xavier (Ohio) / Resolute ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Hocker started off the summer red-hot and then cooled off. There was a pretty good reason for it. As it turns out, it can be hard to play with a hernia all summer long. When he’s healthy, the Showtime and Main Stage All-Star can compete with anyone in the class. In the spring, he piled up an eye-popping 82 goals, 40 assists and 63 ground balls for the Ohio state runner-up and he’s on pace to break fellow Resolute product Marek Tzagournis‘ (Denver) state record for points.

At 6-1, 190 pounds with some impressive weight room numbers and an extensive box lacrosse background, he’s got a skill set that sets him apart. A two-handed scoring threat who’s also really comfortable above the cage, Hocker is different than a lot of the other top scoring options in this class.

Advertisement

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR