The second edition of the NLF’s class of 2028 rankings is here and there’s a new No. 1.
Harrison Tyler ascends from No. 2 to the top spot to headline the top 120 players in the country. The X attackman from Lawrenceville (N.J.) and Long Island Express finished his sophomore campaign strong for the Big Red before putting on a show everywhere he went this summer.
Landen O’Neil follows Tyler as the No. 2 prospect in the class. The two-sport standout from Tabor (Mass.) leads one of the best lefty classes in recent history. Midfielders Ben Hristoforatos (Chaminade, N.Y. / Team 91 Long Island), Danny Varone (Christian Brothers, N.J. / Leading Edge) and Sawyer Bligh (Brunswick, Conn. / West Coast Starz) round out the top 5.
CLICK HERE for the full top 120. Class of 2028 recruiting gets underway Sept. 9 for Division I schools outside of Army, Navy and Air Force. The service academies have been able to contact recruits since July 1. The Black Knights already have five commits in the top 120, while the Midshipmen feature one.
Make sure to check back for more recruiting content on the top recruits in the country. Here’s a breakdown of the top 10 players in our latest rankings.
NLF Class of 2028
Top 10 Breakdown
No. 1 Harrison Tyler, attack, Lawrenceville (N.J.) / Long Island Express
Tyler bumps up to the top spot after being No. 2 in the first rankings. A dynamic, shifty X attackman, he’s a smart and cerebral offensive player who can attack the defense in a number of ways. Tyler finished the year strong playing predominantly midfield for Lawrenceville, including an all-lefty hat trick in the Prep Nationals semifinals. His two-handedness, vision and IQ make him the ideal X attackman, which is the position that’s always the hardest for coaches to recruit.
“Harrison Tyler is No. 1 for me,” one Big Ten assistant coach said. “I don’t know if I can point to a quarter this summer where he wasn’t awesome. He was productive every time he was on the field, and you just don’t see that very often.”
“I just love how quickly Tyler makes decisions,” another Big Ten assistant said. “He knows where he’s going – whether it’s shooting, dodging or getting to the back side – right away.”
It seems to be a certainty that Tyler will land in the ACC or Ivy League.
2. Landen O’Neil, attack, Tabor (Mass.)
O’Neil stands alone in the class, at least from a pure physical size and power standpoint. A 6-2, 215-pound lefty with football offers from the likes of Michigan, Duke and North Carolina, he has shown that he can overpower almost any defender. He earned ISL Player of the Year honors on the strength of a ludicrous 62-goal, 119-point campaign. What’s even crazier is that he’s young for his grade, just missing the state cutoff to be a 2029 by less than a week. Size, stick skills and body control help O’Neil stand out in one of the best lefty classes in a while.
“He’s the best lefty in the class, and the stuff that he can do around the goal is not going to go away,” one ACC assistant coach offered. “To me, he’s more Joey Spallina than he is his brother.”
3. Ben Hristoforatos, midfield, Chaminade (N.Y.) / Team 91 Long Island
You feel Hristoforatos’ impact everywhere on the field. He’s an excellent dodger who dodges with purpose every time, excels on faceoff wings and is a more than capable defender. He seems to rise to the occasion in big games, including a hat trick in the NLF national championship en route to earning tournament MVP honors. Hristoforatos has a ton of pop on his shot and isn’t shy about getting to the dirty areas to get a better shot off.
“He’s dynamite,” one ACC coach said. “I think the world of him. He was so productive this summer. The cool thing is that he’s an O-mid, but he can also go back and strap up and play defense.”
“He’s the best midfielder in the class,” another ACC coach said. “He’s an elite athlete, takes wings on faceoffs and goes from O to D.”
4. Danny Varone, midfield, Christian Brothers (N.J.) / Leading Edge
They’re a lot different, but Varone and Hunter Hanford are the two best shooters in the class. The 6-3 righty doesn’t need much time or space to send a rocket to the back of the cage. He shoots well on the run and on stepdowns, plus he’s shown on a number of occasions that he can handle and finish in tight. The ball explodes off of his stick, and Varone uses his big frame to hide the ball well from goalies. He erupted for 56 goals and 12 assists as a sophomore, earning All-America honors in the process.
“Varone creates separation and he doesn’t need guys around him to be able to shoot,” a Big Ten assistant said. “It’s not only time and room with him.”
5. Sawyer Bligh, midfield, Brunswick (Conn.) / West Coast Starz
The most Swiss Army knife-type midfielder in the class, Bligh does it all. He spent a lot of time playing attack this summer, but the overwhelming consensus is that he will be a do-it-all middie in college. He played through some significant injuries this spring and still put up 45 points as predominantly a feeder. Bligh is tough and plays mean on defense, and the two-sport Brunswick standout relishes the opportunity to put a big hit on someone. Former Virginia standout Ryan Conrad is the comp that gets thrown around a lot for him. Bligh excels on wings, dominates on ground balls in the open field and has a high IQ.
“Bligh is a winning player and he makes a lot of plays in the middle of the field,” an ACC assistant offered. “He has to play to his strengths in the middle of the field where his football stuff comes out. He’s the best between-the-lines guy and his teammates really like him.”
6. Hunter Hanford, attack, Brunswick (Conn.) / Eclipse
If you’ve opened up Instagram at any point since, like, April, you’ve seen Hanford taking a blowtorch to a net or two. His shooting stroke is excellent, and he blends power, accuracy and a snappy release. The end result is arguably the most feared shooter in the class. Hanford also seems to have a knack for coming up big in big games. He had a five-goal day in a one-goal win over Episcopal Academy this spring with Brunswick missing two senior ACC commits. He added three and one against Lawrenceville in the Prep Nationals semis and another two in the final. This summer, he popped off for seven points in a marquee pool play showdown against the West Coast Starz and added a hat trick against Team 91 in the NLF final.
Hanford’s also an absolute madman on the ride. Hanford, who also plays hockey for the Bruins, takes it personally when the other team has the ball. He rides to get the ball back and to inflict pain in the process, and he’s really good at it.
7. Max Melchionni, LSM, Delbarton (N.J.) / Leading Edge
Melchionni was dominant all summer long to maintain his title as the No. 1 defensive player in the class. The 6-2 pole is omnipresent around the ball and can take over a game in a moment’s notice. Takeaways, ground balls and pushing the pace, Melchionni’s good at all of the fun LSM stuff. He was excellent for Kirst Cup champion Delbarton this spring and shined bright for an elite Leading Edge team this summer. His performance against Eclipse in a marquee pool play showdown at NAL was as good a game as you’ll see from a pole in club. Melchionni’s tall, lanky frame allows him to affect a ton of offensive plays, and it’ll also allow him to put on size in college.
It would be surprising to see him outside of the ACC.
8. Wayte McKnight, attack, Episcopal of Dallas (Texas)
McKnight is the consensus No. 2 X attackman in the class, but he plays a little differently than Harrison Tyler. McKnight plays predominantly below the cage and makes life miserable for defenders at GLE. His quickness, shiftiness and IQ allow him to dictate the matchup and he’s made a number of defenders look silly with that combination.
“I think he’s awesome,” one ACC assistant declared. “He’s two-handed, he has sick change-of-direction and he throws the ball through from X. When he looks inside, he has an understanding of everything that’s going on.”
“He’s burst-y and skilled,” said an Ivy head coach. “It’s hard finding guys who can get to the spot and turn the corner, and he’s one of them.”
It sounds like it’ll be a two-ACC horse race for McKnight’s services.
9. PJ Kennedy, attack, Culver (Ind.)
You can put Kennedy anywhere in your offense and he will thrive. He was outstanding for top-5 Culver this year, putting up a down-the-middle 38-goal, 39-assist campaign as the Eagles’ X attackman. Then, he went to the left side for Mad Dog and was also dominant there. His size, skill and two-handedness have put him near the top of many ACC schools’ boards.
“He fills space well and doesn’t try to do too much,” an Ivy head coach said. “The athleticism paired with the size make him a really good wing player.”
10. Chase Aquino, midfield, Hill School (Pa.) / Team 91 Long Island
The discussion about the best two-handed shooter in the class might start and stop with Aquino. He’s a righty, but if you only saw him shoot lefty, you’d swear that he was a lefty. At 6-2 and close to 200 pounds, Aquino looks like he could physically suit up in a college game tomorrow. He scored 39 times and added 15 assists for Hill in the spring and routinely showed the ability to take over a game. Aquino came on strong down the stretch for 91, including a five-goal outburst in an NLF semifinal win.
“He’s arguably the best righty shooter in the class,” said an ACC assistant. “You can put him on the high wing in pairs and he can pop on a dodge and get the ball out. He can go behind the goal and invert, too.”
Aquino’s older brother, Hunter, is a star at Penn State, so the Nittany Lions naturally have a shot for the in-state product. Despite that, he maintains that he’s wide open and has eyes on schools in the ACC, Ivy League and Big Ten.