By Matt Kinnear
(Inside Lacrosse Photos: Dan Aburn)
Last week marked the National Signing Period for the Class of 2026 and ushered in a new set of Nike Lacrosse/IL Rankings. The seniors in high school signed aid agreements (what used to be the National Letter of Intent signing period) and were ranked for the first time since prior to Sept. 1 of their junior years.
The Class of 2026 Top 100 is noteworthy in that it features a new No. 1; Duke-bound James Gillis became the No. 1 player in the class after Dylan Faison decided to enroll early at Notre Dame, essentially making Faison a member of the Class of 2025.
Duke, with four 5-Star recruits, has the nation’s top-rated class as IL’s Class Rankings have been updated. Four of the ACCs (Duke, Notre Dame, Virginia and North Carolina) make up the Top 5 classes.
The Class Rankings can and will change as new star ratings are added or as players switch commitments. Notably, the 2025 Class Ratings shifted late with Faison’s entry into the class. But this point marks a stable snapshot of what the classes will look like when these student-athletes reach campus.
The full IL Class Rankings can be found here.
1. Duke
Top 100 Players
No. 1 James Gillis, M, Chaminade (N.Y.)
No. 3 Bennett Matthews, M, Bedford (N.H.)
No. 5 Tedy Frisoli, A, St. Sebastian's (Mass.)
No. 9 Dylan Malone, M, La Salle (Pa.)
No. 23. George Kelly, D, St. Sebastian's (Mass.)
No. 36. Thomas McAneney, A, Shawnee (N.J.)
No. 48. Alek Askeroglu, M, Cy-Fair (Texas)
What to Love: Top 5 Riches
Three Top 5 players in one class is quite the haul for the Blue Devils. Even by Duke standards, that’s unheard of. They had two Top 5 recruits in 2019 (Kenny Brower and Dyson Williams) and the No. 7 recruit (Jake Caputo). What makes the trio of No. 1 James Gillis, No. 3 Bennett Matthews and No. 5 Tedy Frisoli special is that they are all cerebral players who can fill different roles. Matthews will be one of the better athletes in the locker room from the jump, making the excitement for his debut even more anticipated. Even on the heels of a deep 2025 class, there is no reason that trio can’t make an impact right away, as the Blue Devil staff can run them in a combination of attack, midfield and two-way roles from Day 1.
2. Notre Dame
Top 100 Players
No. 6 Joe Ligas, D, Whitney (Calif.)
No. 12 Hunter Metz, A, McDonogh (Md.)
No. 22 Jace Banks, A, The Hill School (Pa.)
No. 24 Kieran Walsh, G, Chaminade (N.Y.)
No. 26 Ty Curry, A, St. Sebastian's (Mass.)
No. 32 Ciaran Sweeney, FO, McDonogh (Md.)
No. 52 Dylan Novak, D, Malvern Prep (Pa.)
No. 60 John Buttafuoco, D, Brunswick (Conn.)
No. 64 Danny Riely, M, Malvern Prep (Pa.)
No. 80 Max Bushaw, M, Southlake Carroll (Texas)
What to Love: Quiet Confidence and Defense
Sandwiched between the top-ranked ’25 group and a ’27 group that could make an argument as the best, it’d be easy for this ’26 class to get lost in the shuffle. Instead, Notre Dame is stacking high-level classes under Ryan Wellner’s recruiting watch. The ’26s emote a quiet confidence with the second-best defender in Joe Ligas, who is lauded for his consistency and fundamentals. It features the top-ranked goalie Kieran Walsh, and it has two more Top 100 defenders. It’s a class that feels like a steady backbone to some Memorial Day runs.
3. Virginia
Top 100 Players
No. 2 Lucas Garcia, A, Brunswick (Conn.)
No. 20 John Balsamo, A, Chaminade (N.Y.)
No. 29 Dylan Casillo, M, Belmont Hill (Mass.)
No. 30 Hunter Mezzatesta, G, Yorktown (N.Y.)
No. 54 Josh Logan, M, Episcopal (Texas)
No. 86 Evan Freeman, D, Taft (Conn.)
No. 96 Brian McCaffery, FO, Allentown (N.J.)
What to Love: Still Got it
The Cavaliers have certainly faced some adversity on the recruiting front, including two 5-Star flips from this group. But this class can still be highly impactful, mostly because guys like No. 2 Lucas Garcia and No. 20 John Balsamo (a newly elevated 5-Star) are two of the most improved players over the last 14 months. With a potential future starting goalie in Mezzatesta, plus ranked players at every position, it’s a balanced group up and down, and it’s a strong 1-2 punch from the Cavaliers, who have two Top 5 players in the 2025 class, as well.
4. Maryland
Top 100 Players
No. 8 Ethan Bramoff, LSM, St Anthony's (N.Y.)
No. 19 Brady Mollot, A, Archbishop Spalding (Md.)
No. 35 Luke Gouse, FO, West Morris (N.J.)
No. 38 Christopher Doshna, M, Marcellus (N.Y.)
No. 39 Drew Demarinis, M, Good Counsel (Md.)
No. 49 Brad Barber, A, Springfield (Pa.)
No. 67 Danny Rooney, A, St Anthony's (N.Y.)
No. 71 Jackson Allen, LSM, Salisbury (Conn.)
No. 85 Jacob Fedich, LSM, Green Level (N.C.)
What to Love: Go, Go, Go
There is a strong middle-of-the-field presence in the Terps’ 2026 class, and that was bolstered by the October flip of No. 8 Ethan Bramoff from Virginia. It’s largely a group of guys who bring speed and X-factor ability. Face-off menace Luke Gouse, the No. 35 player in the class, is a new entry to the Top 100 and has the offensive instincts that make him a game changer. They also have a trio of LSMs led by Bramoff, a high-motor midfielder like Drew Demarinis and the shiftiness and quickness of attackman Brady Mollot, a newly minted 5-star prospect.
5. North Carolina
Top 100 Players
No. 11 Timmy Plunkett, M, Iona Prep (N.Y.)
No. 16 Rick Giordano, M, Brunswick (Conn.)
No. 27 Robbie Johnson, FO, St. Anthony's (N.Y.)
No. 50 Jackson Orcutt, M, Episcopal Academy (Pa.)
No. 65 Henry Boyd, M, McCallie (Tenn.)
No. 68 Paul Wable, M, Choate (Conn.)
No. 100 Charlie Cacciabaudo, A, St. Anthony's (N.Y.)
What to Love: Midfield
The Heels’ 2027 group has rightfully gotten a lot of attention — as it should with an insane stockpiling of 5-Stars, particularly at attack. But the ’26 group might be more of the engine that makes them go in future years with a core of gritty and talented midfielders — a group that recent flip Jackson Orcutt complements in a major way. No. 11 Timmy Plunkett is one of those physical and fearless players who will instantly be a fan favorite, Rick Giordano’s explosiveness is a spark, then the rest of the group has an energy to them that will give the UNC staff a ton of mileage.
