Recruiting

[SoCal]

Has anyone done any deep dives on which coaches are doing the best job at schools that don't attract the A list talent? Who is or has found hidden talent and/or developed their players? Which programs have either made their way steadily up the rankings or taken big leaps in just a few seasons?

You don't really have to do much of a deep dive. Just look at the history of Northwestern and how they started as a program about 20 years ago--plenty has been written about it. The coach they had who took two college freshmen who had never played lacrosse and then turned them into All American national champions by the end of their senior year is the same coach they have now.

Madison Taylor was not even ranked in the top 50 of IL Women's incoming freshmen. After last year, does anyone think there were 50 kids in that freshmen class who were better than her?

More interested in what programs currently that are making their way up the ranks. Programs that in the last 5 years were ranked 40 - 70 that have now climbed up to the 20s - 30s. Also curious how long it takes to make the jump from a 20s-30s program to a top 10-15 program and who has done it. Those coaches deserve some high praise for sure.

Jill Batcheller at Villanova. She’s been there 2 seasons. Took them from 69th ranked team to 27th. Excited to see if she can keep it going for Nova.

[ultravisitor]

The dust has settled in regards to major commitments. More information is starting to come out. and i have to say..my expectations for Clemson as program has changed. Initially i was thinking in 3-4 years, maybe they'll be a perennial top 25 team. Scratch that. I think they may be a legit final four contender by then.

Okay, pump the breaks. They've had one decent year and some good recruiting. Final four contender in THREE OR FOUR YEARS? Who would they be displacing for that to happen? The list of teams that could legitimately be considered final four contenders in that near of a future is very short, and four or five of the spots on that list seem to be pretty set. While we've seen teams rise through the ranks that quickly in the past, it's much more difficult to do that now because the landscape of the sport has changed so much. There are a lot more talented teams out there these days, and it takes more than recruiting momentum and nice facilities to reach the top of the sport. Those recruits have to play well together and win a lot of games against the top teams, which they haven't demonstrated they can do just yet.

I have to agree about pumping the breaks on Clemson. The new kid is always the Cinderella program, Look at the startups at Colorado, USC, Florida, they were all going to the final 4 within the 1st 4 years. After the bloom faded, only Florida came close. Respectable programs but not world beaters.

Florida is exactly who I thought of. They weren't lacking in facilities, and they were getting top recruits and had a ton of momentum. Hell, they even made the final four early in the program's existence. That level of success has not been sustained, though. Further, there were not as many teams back when Florida was a young, new program as there are now, which likely makes it much more difficult to reach the top of the sport--especially so quickly--and stay there.

[Laxfan212]

The dust has settled in regards to major commitments. More information is starting to come out. and i have to say..my expectations for Clemson as program has changed. Initially i was thinking in 3-4 years, maybe they'll be a perennial top 25 team. Scratch that. I think they may be a legit final four contender by then.

Okay, pump the breaks. They've had one decent year and some good recruiting. Final four contender in THREE OR FOUR YEARS? Who would they be displacing for that to happen? The list of teams that could legitimately be considered final four contenders in that near of a future is very short, and four or five of the spots on that list seem to be pretty set. While we've seen teams rise through the ranks that quickly in the past, it's much more difficult to do that now because the landscape of the sport has changed so much. There are a lot more talented teams out there these days, and it takes more than recruiting momentum and nice facilities to reach the top of the sport. Those recruits have to play well together and win a lot of games against the top teams, which they haven't demonstrated they can do just yet.

I have to agree about pumping the breaks on Clemson. The new kid is always the Cinderella program, Look at the startups at Colorado, USC, Florida, they were all going to the final 4 within the 1st 4 years. After the bloom faded, only Florida came close. Respectable programs but not world beaters.

I’m not a Clemson fan (or hater) but there’s one big thing that sets Clemson and Florida apart from Colorado and USC - the east coast. Colorado and USC are very desirable schools but it’s still a long haul from the hotbed of lacrosse and a harder sell for top recruits. My prediction is Clemson (and Florida) will more consistently get top lax recruits simply due to their location, over Colorado and USC.

[Lax832s]

What happens now for 2025’s who haven’t committed? Is playing d1 out of the picture with most schools being full.

[610Lax]

What happens now for 2025’s who haven’t committed? Is playing d1 out of the picture with most schools being full.

There are still plenty of D1 spots available for '25's. There are multiple 24's that have committed in the last couple of weeks. Now, they may not be top 20 schools but you will see a lot more commits coming in all through the summer.

[lax410]

What happens now for 2025’s who haven’t committed? Is playing d1 out of the picture with most schools being full.

Don’t sleep on the top tier D3s. Lots of great schools starting to commit now and the level of play is high.

[MolonLaxe]

The dust has settled in regards to major commitments. More information is starting to come out. and i have to say..my expectations for Clemson as program has changed. Initially i was thinking in 3-4 years, maybe they'll be a perennial top 25 team. Scratch that. I think they may be a legit final four contender by then.

Okay, pump the breaks. They've had one decent year and some good recruiting. Final four contender in THREE OR FOUR YEARS? Who would they be displacing for that to happen? The list of teams that could legitimately be considered final four contenders in that near of a future is very short, and four or five of the spots on that list seem to be pretty set. While we've seen teams rise through the ranks that quickly in the past, it's much more difficult to do that now because the landscape of the sport has changed so much. There are a lot more talented teams out there these days, and it takes more than recruiting momentum and nice facilities to reach the top of the sport. Those recruits have to play well together and win a lot of games against the top teams, which they haven't demonstrated they can do just yet.

I have to agree about pumping the breaks on Clemson. The new kid is always the Cinderella program, Look at the startups at Colorado, USC, Florida, they were all going to the final 4 within the 1st 4 years. After the bloom faded, only Florida came close. Respectable programs but not world beaters.

I’m not a Clemson fan (or hater) but there’s one big thing that sets Clemson and Florida apart from Colorado and USC - the east coast. Colorado and USC are very desirable schools but it’s still a long haul from the hotbed of lacrosse and a harder sell for top recruits. My prediction is Clemson (and Florida) will more consistently get top lax recruits simply due to their location, over Colorado and USC.

Having traveled to Clemson and seen the facilities--it 100% is a long haul from just about anywhere. Most of SC feels that way, honestly.

The idea that Colorado or USC is a long haul and less desirable can be thrown out the window now. That was always the talk track on why Denver didn't pull in as many East Coast kids and with the success they've had, they are easily pulling hotbed kids to Denver. Denver is a great city, a lot going on and is fairly vibrant. Boulder isn't too far away and in comparison, it's way more beautiful than DU.

We are already seeing more interest in Colorado due to Coach Prime and football, so let's not forget how much of an impact football has on these girls choosing their schools.

With that said, if Clemson continues to decline, they aren't as interesting for the girls that want the Saturday Game Day experience in the fall. The coaching staff has done a great job of selling the sizzle of the area, but visit Clemson in early June to see just how dead it is. 100% a ghost town.

I doubt Colorado turns the corner with football so the interest will eventually wane for other athletes. If I liked the outdoors, Colorado is high on my list for schools.

[VAMomGlax2019]

What happens now for 2025’s who haven’t committed? Is playing d1 out of the picture with most schools being full.

There are still many opportunities left with D1 schools. These will more likely be with higher ranked programs. As one poster mentioned don’t sleep on top D3 schools. I will add to this top D2 schools. These programs will compete with and can beat the lower half of D1. Regardless of D1-3, don’t lose sight of what is most important in this journey, which is picking that school first over lacrosse. I don’t know what the number is but many players will not continue with lacrosse all four years, especially at the D1 level. At this level it’s equivalent to a full-time job. When you see players commit to schools you have never heard them talk about you wonder if lacrosse was the reason over academics. Select a school you can be happy with and thrive academically and socially. If lacrosse comes along with this that is great. Good luck.

[MolonLaxe]

What happens now for 2025’s who haven’t committed? Is playing d1 out of the picture with most schools being full.

When you see players commit to schools you have never heard them talk about you wonder if lacrosse was the reason over academics. Select a school you can be happy with and thrive academically and socially. If lacrosse comes along with this that is great. Good luck.

It's impossible for kids to know about every school under the sun. So, if they get contacted by a school that wasn't on their list, but meets their academic needs, I don't see any problem with committing to said school. Now if it were a commitment to UMass Lowell, you may have a point.

[WLaxdad]

A lot of people mention the pull of big time football on lax recruiting. IMO it doesn't get any bigger or better than Penn State in that regard. What do people think about the PSU program improving in the future (ranked 32 last year)? State College is awesome, you get the best football atmosphere and it's not that far of a drive from the hotbeds. At least you can drive it in a day no flying needed.

[MolonLaxe]

A lot of people mention the pull of big time football on lax recruiting. IMO it doesn't get any bigger or better than Penn State in that regard. What do people think about the PSU program improving in the future (ranked 32 last year)? State College is awesome, you get the best football atmosphere and it's not that far of a drive from the hotbeds. At least you can drive it in a day no flying needed.

Rich Franklin (PSU football coach) is wearing out his welcome. He just cannot beat other ranked teams, as witnessed by his latest loss.

Funny story. We had a teammate that was pursued by both Penn State and Northwestern. She visited Penn State first and liked the visit. NU coach asked her about the visit and what she liked. Then asked the recruit do you know what the difference between Penn State and NU is? The recruit said, no what. She responded with, "We win Championships." Boom. Sold. Committed later that evening.

[lacrossemwj]

Has anyone done any deep dives on which coaches are doing the best job at schools that don't attract the A list talent? Who is or has found hidden talent and/or developed their players? Which programs have either made their way steadily up the rankings or taken big leaps in just a few seasons?

You don't really have to do much of a deep dive. Just look at the history of Northwestern and how they started as a program about 20 years ago--plenty has been written about it. The coach they had who took two college freshmen who had never played lacrosse and then turned them into All American national champions by the end of their senior year is the same coach they have now.

Madison Taylor was not even ranked in the top 50 of IL Women's incoming freshmen. After last year, does anyone think there were 50 kids in that freshmen class who were better than her?

More interested in what programs currently that are making their way up the ranks. Programs that in the last 5 years were ranked 40 - 70 that have now climbed up to the 20s - 30s. Also curious how long it takes to make the jump from a 20s-30s program to a top 10-15 program and who has done it. Those coaches deserve some high praise for sure.

Jill Batcheller at Villanova. She’s been there 2 seasons. Took them from 69th ranked team to 27th. Excited to see if she can keep it going for Nova.

Team I'm very familiar with that is bottom 25% in rankings played Villanova in the the fall, was beating them soundly, and then ended up tied. I was very surprised.

[Relax77]

A lot of people mention the pull of big time football on lax recruiting. IMO it doesn't get any bigger or better than Penn State in that regard. What do people think about the PSU program improving in the future (ranked 32 last year)? State College is awesome, you get the best football atmosphere and it's not that far of a drive from the hotbeds. At least you can drive it in a day no flying needed.

Need a new coach.

[LaxDadMax]

What happens now for 2025’s who haven’t committed? Is playing d1 out of the picture with most schools being full.

There are still plenty of D1 spots available for '25's. There are multiple 24's that have committed in the last couple of weeks. Now, they may not be top 20 schools but you will see a lot more commits coming in all through the summer.

Even at top schools, coaches will make space for a top player. however, money is likely all gone.

there will also be some movement at high-academics. Around June, you often see a few silent recommits from girls who couldn't get the grades or test scores that their commitment was based on.

[NULax2]

Rich Franklin (PSU football coach) is wearing out his welcome. He just cannot beat other ranked teams, as witnessed by his latest loss.

Funny story. We had a teammate that was pursued by both Penn State and Northwestern. She visited Penn State first and liked the visit. NU coach asked her about the visit and what she liked. Then asked the recruit do you know what the difference between Penn State and NU is? The recruit said, no what. She responded with, "We win Championships." Boom. Sold. Committed later that evening.

haha, sounds like KAH.

BTW, their 2023 Championship ring is MASSIVE. Something you would expect from football. https://twitter.com/NULax/status/172495 ... 74/photo/1

[bolt75]

Has anyone done any deep dives on which coaches are doing the best job at schools that don't attract the A list talent? Who is or has found hidden talent and/or developed their players? Which programs have either made their way steadily up the rankings or taken big leaps in just a few seasons?

You don't really have to do much of a deep dive. Just look at the history of Northwestern and how they started as a program about 20 years ago--plenty has been written about it. The coach they had who took two college freshmen who had never played lacrosse and then turned them into All American national champions by the end of their senior year is the same coach they have now.

Madison Taylor was not even ranked in the top 50 of IL Women's incoming freshmen. After last year, does anyone think there were 50 kids in that freshmen class who were better than her?

More interested in what programs currently that are making their way up the ranks. Programs that in the last 5 years were ranked 40 - 70 that have now climbed up to the 20s - 30s. Also curious how long it takes to make the jump from a 20s-30s program to a top 10-15 program and who has done it. Those coaches deserve some high praise for sure.

Jill Batcheller at Villanova. She’s been there 2 seasons. Took them from 69th ranked team to 27th. Excited to see if she can keep it going for Nova.

Team I'm very familiar with that is bottom 25% in rankings played Villanova in the the fall, was beating them soundly, and then ended up tied. I was very surprised.

Fall Ball? Isn't that the time for coaches to try out a variety of players, etc? I didn't think Fall ball results were necessarily an accurate indicator of spring season?

[cltlax]

...I didn't think Fall ball results were necessarily an accurate indicator of spring season?

They're not, unless it benefits your team

[Brownlax]

What happens now for 2025’s who haven’t committed? Is playing d1 out of the picture with most schools being full.

There are still plenty of D1 spots available for '25's. There are multiple 24's that have committed in the last couple of weeks. Now, they may not be top 20 schools but you will see a lot more commits coming in all through the summer.

Even at top schools, coaches will make space for a top player. however, money is likely all gone.

there will also be some movement at high-academics. Around June, you often see a few silent recommits from girls who couldn't get the grades or test scores that their commitment was based on.

I’m at President’s Cup right now and there are a ton of college coaches still looking at 25’s including top 10 coaches.

[Kleizaster]

What happens now for 2025’s who haven’t committed? Is playing d1 out of the picture with most schools being full.

There are still plenty of D1 spots available for '25's. There are multiple 24's that have committed in the last couple of weeks. Now, they may not be top 20 schools but you will see a lot more commits coming in all through the summer.

Even at top schools, coaches will make space for a top player. however, money is likely all gone.

there will also be some movement at high-academics. Around June, you often see a few silent recommits from girls who couldn't get the grades or test scores that their commitment was based on.

I’m at President’s Cup right now and there are a ton of college coaches still looking at 25’s including top 10 coaches.

Agreed with all that's been said. There are 117 D1 schools. An Average class is about 7.5 recruits per school. Of the 117 schools, around half are below that 7.5 average class threshold. So about 59 schools. Those 59 schools have available spots for 3-4 more recruits as most already have atleast 3 or 4 committs. Lets say 4 to give it a bit of a buffer. 4x59= 236. So around 236 spots on D1 rosters are still up for grabs. These are all extremely broad generalizations and there is a large margin of error but i wanted to provide some context on a macro level. Alot of coaches are still actively recruiting 2025s to fill out their rosters.

But most of the top schools have moved on to the top 2026s and there are some names that have emerged and seperated themselves from the pack. Obviously no contact but coaches like getting the early jump by inviting them to camps and that's been in full force and have been since last summer.

Most of the 2024s committing now are D3 players.

[OuttaNowhereWregget]

There are 117 D1 schools.

*129

https://www.insidelacrosse.com/league/WDI/teams/2023