Colin Burns

NLF Fall Rankings
Ranked No. 9 overall, No. 4 attackman
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Rating: 97

Between Burns, fellow five-star Nate Kabiri (Georgetown Prep, Md.) and four-star Caulley Deringer (Episcopal, Va.), there’s a good case to be made that Matt Rienzo has the best attack line in the country at his disposal. Burns shoots up into the top 10 from No. 18 after a great spring for a loaded Prep team – he popped 29 goals to go with 27 assists – and a terrific summer. He capped that summer with an outstanding performance at the NLF National Championships, including a two-goal, two-assist performance in the final.

Burns has excellent vision and patience with the ball in his stick. He never gets rattled under pressure and diagnoses plays a step before they happen. He’s not likely to explode past a defender with quickness and speed, but he uses his big frame, lacrosse IQ and good stick to get open. He can score righty or lefty, feed or finish, and everything in between. His versatility is a big reason why he’ll be a hot commodity.

“Burns changed his role and I saw him do more with less,” one top 10 college assistant coach said. “He doesn’t need the ball. He can play inside or outside. With the way he ended the summer, he should be really high on the list.”

NLF National Championships Standout

“It’s so much fun. We can all take our guys to the rack, and if one of us draws the 1 or 2, the other person goes to the rack and feasts,” Burns said. “Any one of us can pop off. We just let the game come to us and try to be unselfish.”

Burns started as a sophomore for NLFRankings.com’s No. 10 team, and didn’t look like a sophomore in the process. He racked up a balanced 29-goal, 27-assist stat line, lending credence to the fact that he’s willing and able to torture defenses in a number of ways. A 6-1, 180-pounder, Burns scored both righty and lefty in the title game. Combine that with his vision and unselfishness, and you’ve got a guy who’s going to be fielding a lot of phone calls on Sept. 1.

“My dad’s always harped on me to be able to do everything, whether it’s being able to shoot lefty from outside, throw skip passes, be physical, whatever,” Burns said. “You try to have everything because you never know what defense is going to come across. It’s really good to have everything in your bag, and I pride myself on being able to do that.”

The Dogs were no strangers to taking home hardware from events, but this one felt a little bit different, considering it’s THE event of the summer. They made it look like child’s play.

“It’s huge,” Burns said. “This was something in the back of our minds. It felt good. It felt better than any other tournament.”

NLF March 2021 Super 60 Rankings
Ranked No. 18 overall, No. 6 attackman
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Rating: 95

An outstanding X attackman who’s a deadly feeder but also more than capable of also putting the ball in the back of the net, Burns is always in complete control of the offense and sees everything unfold a step before everyone else does. He throws accurate passes from different angles, which helps keep defenses off balance and constantly guessing, but he’s also accurate as a shooter with either hand from inside of eight yards. His handle in tight and ability to contort his body into tight spaces also help him as a scorer.