Defending Champ Notre Dame No. 1 in USA Lacrosse Division I Men's Preseason Top 20

Defending national champion Notre Dame is No. 1 in the USA Lacrosse Division I Men’s Preseason Top 20, USA Lacrosse Magazine announced Wednesday.

The USA Lacrosse Division I Men’s Preseason Top 20 is put together by USA Lacrosse Magazine staff with input from coaches around the country.

The Irish return 2023 Tewaaraton Award finalist Pat Kavanagh, 2023 NCAA championship MVP Liam Entenmann and a smattering of other impact players who were integral in leading them to the first national title in program history last May.

There are key graduations, like Yale transfers Brian Tevlin and Chris Fake who played significant roles in that title run, but head coach Kevin Corrigan is positioned to replace those difference-makers with an influx of new talent. Inside Lacrosse ranked Notre Dame seventh in terms of impact transfers, with a crop of players headlined by former Brown attackman Devon McLane. Midfielder Jake Bonomi (Michigan), defenseman BJ Burlace (Maryland/Yale) and defenseman Danny Parker (Virginia) have also made their way to South Bend.

Ranking second in the USA Lacrosse Preseason Top 20 is Duke, the team Notre Dame topped on Memorial Day. There’s a strong case for the Blue Devils to be No. 1, too, with Tewaaraton Award winner Brennan O’Neill steering the ship on offense alongside National Lacrosse League No. 1 overall pick Dyson Williams. Jake Naso is back to take faceoffs, and Alex Slusher’s arrival from Princeton adds more help on the attack.

Defensively, Kenny Brower is as good as they come with Tyler Carpenter helping as a capable pole. The biggest question, and perhaps the differentiating factor when comparing Duke to Notre Dame, is in the cage. Is William Helm again the favorite to start, or does Princeton transfer Griffen Rakower get the nod?

Virginia, loaded again offensively and yet again boasting a strong incoming class, checks in at No. 3. National semifinalist Penn State comes in at No. 4, and 2022 national champion Maryland is No. 5.

USA LACROSSE DIVISION I MEN’S PRESEASON TOP 20

1. Notre Dame
2. Duke
3. Virginia
4. Penn State
5. Maryland
6. Johns Hopkins
7. Cornell
8. Army
9. Syracuse
10. Yale
11. Denver
12. Georgetown
13. Michigan
14. Princeton
15. Rutgers
16. Delaware
17. Penn
18. Boston U
19. North Carolina
20. Richmond

Also considered (alphabetical order): Loyola, Marquette, Utah