Good evening,

I’m Jake and this is Recruit Report presented by Apex Lacrosse Events.

I’m your friend who tells you everything you need to know about lacrosse.

Did you know Apex has a goalie and faceoff only showcase July 22 & 23rd?

The Faceoff Summit is led by Joe Nardella. You can apply here.

The Goalie Summit is led by Kyle Bernlohr. You can apply here.

Both the events combine elite level instruction with 20+ college programs on staff!

Now, let’s get into it!

5 Lacrosse Recruits You NEED to Watch This Week:

James Grainger,  Attack/Midfield (2026) - Summit High School, NJ

Grainger makes a living on the right wing. Once he gets to the island, he’ll gladly shoot it right past a defender, or inside roll for a sneaky shot underneath. 

I love how patient he is - he’s always taking one more step upfield or doing an extra fake to put it past the goalie. 

The 6’1 New Jersey native started on varsity as a freshman last year and put up 36 points. In his second year of high school lacrosse, I think we could see those numbers double. 

Ryan Baxter, LSM (2026) - Brunswick, CT

Baxter’s highlights are just plain fun to watch. 

The rangy LSM has nasty handles that remind me of Chris Walker’s legendary highlight reel.  He’s also a great on-ball defender, throwing timely checks that usually put the ball on the turf. 

Baxter earned a spot on Brunswick’s varsity team as a freshman, and now I expect him to take on an even bigger role this spring. 

Declan Helig, Midfield (2026) - La Salle College High School, PA

Helig is a pure lefty gunslinger who can do it all. 

In one clip, you’ll watch him rip a tough lefty shot down the alley. In the next clip, you’ll watch him camp on the lefty wing and launch one from deep. 

The 5’10 attackman/middie for La Salle College High School has a ton of upside, and I think college coaches will love that he can slot in to any position. 

Let’s see what year 2 of high school lacrosse looks like for Helig this spring. 

Shovan Eriksson, Midfield (2026) - St. Andrew's School, FL

6’2, 180 pounds, and tons of upside from the midfield - that’s all you need to know to understand that Shovan Eriksson is a special talent. 

The Florida native has a solid outside shot and a quick first step, but my favorite part about his game is his passing ability. His head is always up, and he finds wide open teammates for easy goals. 

The scary thing is, he hasn’t even hit a college weight room yet. If he can continue to build his size and strength, Shovan will become even more dangerous. 

Ben Bilodeau, Attack/Midfield (2026) - Darien, CT

Making the varsity team of a high school program like Darien is an accomplishment in itself. To be a varsity starter on Darien as a freshman is a different story. 

Meet Ben Bilodeau. The 6’3, 185 pound beast makes defenders bounce off of him as he moves down the field. He’s not afraid to take it from up top and rip it down the alley, or split you at X and finish topside. 

If he continues to develop his first step, he’s going to be a tough cover for years to come with his size and lacrosse IQ. 

Which lacrosse recruits should I cover next?

A Few Notes:

1. I’m reacting to highlight reels - which only show me the best moments from a player’s games. These videos don’t show us a complete picture, and we understand that.

2. This is purely for fun - we understand there are a ton of talented players still to be covered. Please nominate them!

See you next time!

Jake

P.S. remember to fill out an application for the Garden State Showcase!