Here we go. Recruiting for 2021 is finally ready to kick off in a major way, and the possibilities are endless as we head into a new cycle. The 2021 recruiting class is going to be one of the least studied and recruited in history, as new rules for lacrosse have prevented any coach-initiated contact with these players until September 1st of their junior year.
With that, you have a ton more players who will be on the D1 radar, as late bloomers have had 2 full years of HS and club ball to really develop their skills and bodies. It feels like the day before a marathon, with everyone itching to get going on what will be a 14-month (or more) slog to the finish.
For this preview, I figured it would be best to break players down by position group, on offense first, then defense in a separate post. You will see why shortly.
Starting us off will be the attackmen, and there are some players to be excited about. As a note, I got about 80% through writing this, then things changed DRAMATICALLY.
A whole bunch of new, elite prospects popped up, and as such ensured this will be a wild 14 months. Buckle up.
Leading us off at the attack spots are two prospects who could easily be twins at first glance. They're both Texan. They're both left-handed. And they both had more than 80 points last year as sophomores.
Thomas Mencke and Reed Landin are options 1b and 1a for the Buckeyes in the 2021 class. Mencke is a junior at Highland Park in Texas, and a former teammate of freshman Buckeye Gabe Galbraith. Mencke receives regular coaching from Ryan Brown, the best shooter in the world, and it shows.
His left-handed shot is a thing of beauty, and Mencke can connect from just about anywhere. I wouldn't say he is Leclaire-esque, but Mencke certainly has ample shooting power to be an incredible offensive goal machine when combined with his dodging.
Mencke's greatest weakness is his athleticism. He isn't a burner or physical specimen. Mencke stops on a dime and has the quickness to be exceptional at the HS level, but most likely will be more of an off-ball threat in the Big Ten. What really stands out is Mencke's release.
It's lightning fast when he wants it to be, and that is what really counts in college, where defenders close down in a hurry. The other area Mencke could improve is in hanging his stick before shots. It's a plague affecting millions across the US, and is a defender's dream.
If Mencke can't be lightning quick on his release all the time, he will ride the bench, unless his passing can propel him into the starting lineup from the left-handed side. Given what I have seen out of Mitchell Sandberg (2020), that's not going to happen. This recruitment is currently a Harvard-OSU battle, as best I can tell, and Harvard will have a dual-pronged pitch around playing time and, well, being Harvard.
That's a hard school to say no to, plus Gerry Byrne is a charismatic coach who knows what it takes to be elite on both sides of the ball.
Reed Landin, of Episcopal School of Dallas, is much more of a scorer than Mencke, with a vastly different game. Landin is a locomotive, where Mencke is a jitterbug. Landin has a nice cannon for a shot, where he will take a couple shuffle steps in and unload past a goalkeeper.
Much more fast than quick, Landon can really get some power when shooting on the run, blowing by Texas HS competition for the most part as he goes to goal. Landin had 85 points to Mencke's 84 in 2019, but was definitely the beneficiary of the talent around him getting the ball into his stick as often as possible.
Landin, in many ways, is a carbon copy of Connor Mitchell, he just does not have quite the same IQ and stick skills of Mitchell. I think Landin would actually be a nice facsimile of Tre Leclaire, in that his howitzer shot is most effective off-ball, via the skip pass.
Landin has some work to do on his release, however, to get to that level. Three shuffles isn't going to fly in the B1G. Right now it's looking like an OSU-Princeton/Ivy battle, though we will know more once the 1st rolls around.
Another off-the-beaten-path prospect on the Buckeye radar is Ryan Stines out of North Carolina. A junior at Panther Creek, Stines is a slick X attackman who can really score off the Dodge.
Gifted with some serious change of direction skills, Stines could really be a force from X under Coach Sheridan's tutelage, and looks like his prototypical quarterback of the offense.
Sheridan likes to attack from X and have his dodger hit a crossfield skip pass coming up either side of the goal. Stines is capable of doing so, and has the moves to score as well.
Jack Clark, an attackman out of Springfield Delco in Pennsylvania, is a prospect that has a lot to like. He is a bit on the smaller side, but really, really plays the game well.
He can operate as a dodger or a shooter, and is one of the quickest players in the Buckeye recruiting pool. It's a joy to watch him operate from X. He doesn't have Jack Myers size, but is probably more suited to the X role than Myers athletically.
Tyler Conklin would be another very highly rated name to remember, though information is hard to come by outside of Inside Lacrosse's evaluation series. Conklin is a big lefty shooter, but other than that it's hard to know. As lefty players have been an area of need, I imagine the Buckeyes will be pushing hard for him.
Another lefty wizard, Leo Johnson of Avon Old Farms is being pursued by the whole staff, but he's far from a lock to land in Columbus. Lefties, if you haven't noticed, are at a huge premium year in and year out, especially on offense.
Most coaches will give a top-tier lefty attackman a full ride if they can afford to, as it's the hardest spot to fill on the field with a quality player. Just being left-handed can give you a nice career in high school. Johnson is a dodging master, filling both the quarterback and scorer roles nicely.
He would definitely be the finisher that Coach Sheridan is trying to surround with shooters. We will see if the Buckeyes can lure him to Columbus.
Trevor Natalie is also an interesting option on offense as an under-the-radar prospect out of Florida. He is an undersized speedster who scored goals against the bluest of blue blood teams and goalkeepers in 2019.
Currently listed as 5'6", 140 pounds, Natalie nevertheless managed to score a few times against Bullis (the "national" champion squad I'm 2019 that counted current Buckeye football player Bryson Shaw as a starter), as well as put a couple past Christian Tomei, who is in the running to anchor Team USA's U-19 defense next year.
Playing for Palm Beach West, who definitely does NOT have Bullis or Oxbridge Academy level talent, that's hugely impressive. This looks like a Coach Sheridan special from his time as a recruiter in Cleveland, and could be a really nice pickup for the Buckeyes, if the two parties decide it's worth it.
Only other interested party right now seems to be Salisbury, which is really all you need to know about this player's talent.
Alex Theuerkauf is a local kid that the Buckeyes are taking a look at as well. Currently a teammate of the only 2021 Buckeye commit, Aidan Kenley, at Olentangy Liberty, Theuerkauf is a real shooting threat with his right hand.
Given time and space, he can hit just about any corner, and is a real threat to score with the ball in his stick. Like Landin, Theuerkauf is much more of a shooter than dodger, but doesn't have the cannon to be a Leclaire.
His sophomore season was a bit injury plagued, so he will be looking to bounce back in a huge way this season in the Columbus area. Theuerkauf doesn't quite possess the athletic ability of Landin or Mencke, and would most likely be a rotational addition at this point for the Buckeyes, barring significant improvement from the Ohio native.
Carter Barco is another local product at Dublin Jerome who is a player the Buckeyes seem very interested in. Considering that Buckeye lacrosse runs in the family, it's a good bet the interest is mutual.
Carter is the youngest of the Barcos, and is a bonafide offensive force for the Irish. Last year, Barco poured in 61 goals and had over 20 assists, making him the primary scoring option for his team, and a player to reckon with in central Ohio.
He's very much an off-ball, two-man game scorer, but fits in nicely with Coach Sheridan's philosophy on offense. Barco, if he continues his trajectory, has a good shot at being a significant contributor on offense upon enrollment in the Tre Leclaire role.
Finally, we will go with Johnny Schwarz, of Shoreham-Wading River in New York. Schwarz is a really dynamic player that scores pretty goals, and put up major points for a big power in the Empire State. Schwarz can get around his defender in a hurry, then snap off a rocket that finds a corner or the far post from X.
He's a shorter, much more athletic version of Jack Myers, and would be a massive add to the Buckeyes if they can secure his commitment.
A final name to watch is Joseph Bueti out of Syosset, New York. He is a productive kid out of the Long Island hotbed, but there's virtually no information or film on him, other than a couple press clips from Syosset's playoff run.
I know the staff likes him, but it's hard to give any idea how he plays, or what he's thinking.
Barring something I missed, I would expect 1 of the Mencke/Landin pair to end up a Buckeye, along with Barco and maaaaaybe Natalie, if the Buckeyes take 3 attackmen in the 2021 class. There are just so many options for the other prospects, and I don't think there are many attack spots open.
I would love to see Leo Johnson in a Buckeye uniform, but I really don't know that the pull is there to lure him to Columbus quite yet.
Moving to offensive middies, it's pretty clear that the options are wide open, and nothing is for certain. There are a couple surefire calls that will be made on 9/1, though, that I will get into.
First and foremost, we have to start with the lone 2021 commit, Aidan Kenley. Kemley was a teammate of Buckeye sophomore Johnny Wiseman at Olentangy Liberty for a year, and will suit up with potential Buckeye target Alex Theuerkauf next spring.
Kenley committed prior to the new rules, obviously, so he broke the ice on the 2021 class, only to see things freeze over. His 2019 was over before it started due to injury, robbing us of the chance to see his progression from a very successful freshman year.
As a midfielder, Kenley has a ton of ability to change hands, and direction. He has a really good S Dodge, and understands really well the importance of getting the stick inside for improved angle. Kenley also has a pretty deceptive release to pair with a decent shot. Kenley isn't a laser shooter, but is able to pick corners very well, making him a successful goalscorer.
Kenley is a bit different from Johnny Wiseman when it comes to dodging, as he primarily operates above GLE. If he can make normal progress as a junior and senior, Kenley has the potential to be a really good player for the Buckeyes in midfield.
The Buckeyes are also going to go hard after Ian Dean, an O middie out of Dublin Jerome. The only thing you need to know is that he has a shot similar to Leclaire's, and he will use it to score from all points. And it is a ROCKET.
This is a player who has incredible wheels, but excels most when catching and shooting. It really is like watching a young Tre Leclaire operate. I don't think he's all that great a dodger, despite his speed, as he is fairly standard in his dodging choices.
There is a little shake to Dean's game, but not enough to make him a primary ballhandler. That said, with a shot like his, who cares? He could be a 35+ goalscorer with the right players to feed him. Dean's got all the big guns from Ohio State focused on him, though he has at least a passing interest in Maryland (who wouldn't?).
Still, this seems like a recruitment the Buckeyes should win.
One to really watch is Emmett Houlihan out of Marvin Ridge HS in North Carolina. He can be summed up in one word: dynamic. I have often complained about a lack of athletic ability at the midfield spots, and Houlihan would address that in spades.
He's got such a quick first, second, and third move. His hitch and go off the catch is a thing of beauty. Houlihan has exceptional feet, and a great shot. In short, he has all the tools to be an impact player from the jump for the Buckeyes.
While it's very odd to have a highly regarded prospect out of North Carolina, Houlihan originally hails from Massapequa, a program on Long Island that has a storied history and won the Class A New York state title in 2019.
The Buckeyes are also all-in for Dante Trader, a midfielder for McDonogh in the MIAA of Maryland. I cannot fully convey the athletic ability of Trader. He has more speed than he knows what to do with.
And made a pass in during a summer game that reminded me of Grant Ament. It's not as consistently elite as Ament, but if Trader can get a bit more polish, he would potentially be the best middie to ever play at Ohio State.
Athletically, there's probably never been a player like him. The Buckeyes will be pushing hard, but so will most of the rest of the country. This one will be a battle.
The last O middie I will cover has a last name that should be familiar to most Buckeye fans: Blake Borges. Despite sporting the same name as Matt Borges, it appears that Blake is unrelated to the former Buckeye longpole.
Blake Borges is nearly a polar opposite player to Matt, as he is a physical specimen on the Dodge, with enough quickness and shimmy to really pressure a defender. Borges certainly knows how to get his positioning right, but I am not sure his lateral quickness is quite at the level it will need to be in the B1G to star as the top dodging option.
It's still early, obviously, but I think that Borges will be more of an off-ball or secondary dodging option should he don the Scarlet and Gray.
Even as I type this, the sands of recruiting are shifting. Some of the names I listed here will inevitably be signing elsewhere come next fall, but it should give a good starting point for the future as we follow along on the recruiting trail.
Since it is a holiday weekend, the last before most of the northeast starts HS, I expect this to be a crazy time for the staff and recruits. It will be really fun to see what kind of talent the staff can bring in.
The commitment klaxon will (hopefully) be sounding off quite often! Next up: defense, goalies, and FOGOs.
