8 players headline Syracuse men’s lacrosse’s 2027 recruiting class after 1st month
After the 2027 recruiting window opened on Sept. 1, Syracuse men's lacrosse has gained eight commits, boosting it to the nation's 11th-ranked class. Leonardo Eriman | Photo Editor
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September is the most important month for lacrosse recruiting. On Sept. 1, college coaches can start reaching out to juniors in high school, offer scholarships and set up official and unofficial visits. The lacrosse recruiting process develops fast.
So far, every Inside Lacrosse five-star recruit in the class of 2027 has committed to a school. Syracuse has picked up eight players for its 2027 class, including four top-100 recruits, according to IL. As of Sept. 21, the Orange have the 11th-best recruiting class in the country, per Inside Lacrosse CEO Terry Foy.
Here’s a closer look at Syracuse men’s lacrosse’s commits for the class of 2027:
Moe Sobel, goalie, Inside Lacrosse’s No. 7 overall recruit
Sobel is Syracuse’s most coveted prospect in any of its classes. He’s the consensus top junior goalie on multiple recruiting sites, while the National Lacrosse Federation has him as the best player in the entire class. Per NLF, Sobel is “one of the best and most unique goalie prospects the game has ever seen.”
It may be high praise, but Sobel has the physical tools to be an elite college goalie. Standing at 6-foot-4, 190 pounds, he has great size in net. For reference, current Syracuse goalie Jimmy McCool is 6-foot-2, 213 pounds.
NLF also said Sobel “draws high praise for his advanced knowledge of the game.” Sobel started his high school at Springside Chestnut Hill (Pennsylvania). He saved 68% of the shots he faced in 2024, helping him earn NLF All-American honors. For the next two seasons, he’ll head south to play at IMG Academy.
Syracuse has consistently had strong goalie play as of late. From 2023-24, Will Mark recorded back-to-back 200-save seasons, becoming the first SU player to accomplish that feat since Rob Mulligan (1999-2000). Mark’s former understudy, McCool, took over last season and became the Atlantic Coast Conference Goalie of the Year. McCool and current backup Michael Ippoliti are both juniors. With no 2026 goalie commits, Sobel likely has an easy path to starting immediately at SU.
Max Kruger, unranked 3-star midfield/attack by Inside Lacrosse
Kruger is one of Syracuse’s most intriguing pickups this month. He’s not ranked by Inside Lacrosse, but Prep Lacrosse has him as the No. 25 player in the 2027 class.
Kruger is an elite box lacrosse player, lighting up the Ontario Junior Lacrosse League with the Orangeville Northmen this summer. Kruger finished fourth in the league with 158 points — scoring 68 goals and assisting 90 — while playing alongside current SU players Trey Deere, Jake Spallina and Donny Scott.
Hailing from Ontario, Canada, Kruger joins a long list of Canadian players to attend Syracuse, including recent graduates Owen Hiltz and Sam English, as well as current attack Finn Thomson. Head coach Gary Gait and offensive coordinator Pat March are also Canadian. SU’s attack relies on slick ball movement and high-risk decision-making, traits largely associated with Canadian box players.
“Syracuse was my dream school. (It) just felt like home,” Kruger told The Daily Orange. “I feel like it’s a place that I could always thrive in.”
Ilyan Sarech | Design Editor
His father, Rusty Kruger, spent 13 seasons in the National Lacrosse League and currently coaches the Northmen. He said Rusty is hard on him, but it’s made him a better player. Three years ago, Rusty convinced Joey Spallina to spend his summers playing box up north, which was crucial in his development. Spallina dominated, registering 378 points across three seasons.
During the summer, Kruger met Joey, who hosted him during his official visit on the first weekend of September. Kruger soaked up everything Spallina said, mentioning Spallina and Hiltz are two of the players he models his game after. Kruger also studies reigning Premier Lacrosse MVP Jeff Teat, who coaches Kruger at the Hill Academy in Caledon, Ontario.
Kruger described himself as a “high IQ player” who’s a strong shooter with “very good hands.” He prides himself on outsmarting players by analyzing the game at the highest level.
“I’m not the American who can dodge with both hands, but being able to play off the ball and being able to back cut a guy to finally get open off the ball, that’s big,” Kruger said.
Garrett Sullivan, midfielder, Inside Lacrosse’s No. 52 overall recruit
Sullivan is Syracuse’s top-rated midfield recruit, committing to the Orange on Sept. 16. After attending Rye High School (New York) as a freshman, Sullivan transferred to the Salisbury School (Connecticut), an elite prep school that Deere previously attended.
Inside Lacrosse describes Sullivan as “quick and fast,” while standing out “more as a two-handed shooter/goal scorer as opposed to a dodger/party-starter.” Inside Lacrosse mentioned drawing slides is the most important development in his game, but based on his athletic profile, he can fulfill his potential.
Syracuse midfielder Luke Rhoa has a similar skillset, as he also is a strong two-handed shooter. Rhoa was the 24th-best prospect in SU’s top-ranked 2022 class. Sullivan isn’t as highly rated, slotting in as Inside Lacrosse’s 13th-best midfielder, but he can definitely make an impact at SU.
Quincy Quillard, midfielder, Inside Lacrosse’s No. 80 overall recruit
Another midfielder, Quillard is more defensive-minded than Sullivan. Though he can make an offensive impact, Prep Lacrosse’s Ty Xanders said Quillard “projects as a short-stick defensive midfielder in the ACC” with “huge upside.”
At 6-foot-3, 200 pounds, Quillard adds a strong physical presence to Syracuse’s class. Flashy offensive talent is always welcome at Syracuse, but gritty defensive players can be just as crucial.
Whether Quillard will play both sides of the ball at SU is unknown. Syracuse doesn’t use many guys in that flexible midfield role outside of Sam English, who was the nation’s best two-way midfielder over the past couple of seasons.
Adrian Sweeney, midfielder, Inside Lacrosse’s No. 100 overall recruit
Sweeney is a standout local product from Cicero-North Syracuse High School. Syracuse hasn’t recruited much in central New York recently. Lucas Bartlow, an unranked goalie in the 2025 class from Chenango Forks, is the only other CNY commit listed.
During his freshman and sophomore seasons, Sweeney dominated as a goal-scoring midfielder. He tallied 55 goals as a freshman before adding 40 last season, while increasing his assist total from nine to 17. In 2025, Sweeney led C-NS to the section semifinals.
Gentry Curtis, faceoff specialist, unranked 3-star recruit per Inside Lacrosse
Curtis, a three-star recruit, is Syracuse’s lone faceoff specialist in its 2027 class. He stands 5-foot-9, 170 pounds and hails from Overland Park, Kansas, but attends Western Reserve Academy in Hudson, Ohio. He also plays club lacrosse with Sweetlax, a program based out of Rochester, New York.
U.S. Club Lacrosse said Curtis is “more than just a traditional FOGO” and can stay on the field for offensive possessions. It mentioned Curtis has “great speed in transition” and will usually “emerge from scrums with ground balls.”
John Mullen currently has a stranglehold on Syracuse’s faceoff unit, but the starting position will likely be up for grabs by Curtis’ freshman year.
Jake Goodwin, defender, unranked 3-star per Inside Lacrosse
Goodwin is one of just two long poles in SU’s 2027 class. Syracuse’s 2026 class is highlighted by five-star recruit Jayden James and four-star Dominic Perfetti. At 6-foot-2, 205 pounds, Goodwin is a defensive menace, causing 40 turnovers and picking up 51 ground balls for Lawrence Academy (Massachusetts) last season.
Syracuse’s current longpole group is headed by Billy Dwan III and Riley Figueiras, but with both of them graduating this year, Syracuse will need reinforcements like Goodwin in the future.
Luke LaRocca, defender, unranked recruit per Inside Lacrosse
LaRocca is a relatively unknown prospect. He’s SU’s only unranked junior commit, but he could be a diamond in the rough. LaRocca attends Sachem High School on Long Island and plays club lacrosse for Team91, one of the most well-respected programs in the country.
The program has produced players like Spallina and midfielder Michael Leo, along with countless other high-level Division I prospects and pros.
The Long Island Lacrosse Journal said there “ weren’t many defensemen in this summer cycle with better stick skill than LaRocca.” It added that he “uses it to his strength in the middle of the field, pushing fast breaks with the swagger of an offensive player.”
There’s still time for LaRocca to gain more recognition from major recruiting outlets, but he still looks like a solid pickup for Syracuse.
