Ranking the Top Five PLL Players Under 25

It's now the lacrosse dead zone: the PLL playoffs (and the following New York Atlas celebration) concluded over a month ago, college lacrosse’s only news comes in the form of fall ball highlight packages and scheduling announcements, and the NLL's countdown until training camp. However, lax chatter lives on with offseason player and team breakdowns. The PLL just produced a 25-year-old MVP in Atlas attackman Connor Shellenberger, so why not detail a list of potential next-up players to become the faces of lacrosse? Shellenberger, Pat Kavanagh, and Liam Entenmann have already established themselves as household names at 25; This list of players will most likely join them in the next year or two in that same conversation, with their collegiate play and early PLL success buoying faith in their consistency. 

1.Brennan O'Neill

At the age of 23, O'Neill has already become a perennial MVP contender. He is the exception to this list as a well-established player that would rank in the top 1-5 in virtually any lacrosse metric.  He followed up an outstanding Tewaaraton-winning career at Duke by being the Outlaws first overall pick in the 2024 draft. Although he lost the Rookie of the Year battle to Whipsnakes' attackman TJ Malone, O'Neill came into his sophomore season with serious expectations. He satisfied this hype by leading the Outlaws to the PLL Championship Game, in addition to tallying 23 goals to make him 2025’s second-highest scorer. Analysts are wondering when, not if, will the Outlaws star take home an MVP. 

2. Jake Piseno

To no surprise, another talented Denver Outlaw is poised for a great career. The 24-year-old won his first LSM of the Year Award in 2025, corralling a team-high 34 ground balls and anchoring a Denver midfield that was tested in conference games against the surging Chaos and Redwoods. When most people think of the long-stick midfielder position, ground balls and turnovers come to mind. However, Piseno was tasked with jumpstarting a Denver offense that featured four Tewaaraton winners. His 12 points from distributing to the above offensive juggernauts helped him to dwarf the other LSM finalists. Denver’s young core, with 25-year-olds Pat Kavanagh and goalie Logan McNaney also included, will continue to make each other better.

3.  Ajax Zappitello

The Whipsnakes’ 23-year-old long pole is already knocking on the door to be in the conversation for the best defender in the PLL. He doesn't receive the spotlight he deserves due to Maryland’s offensive prowess with TJ Malone and Rob Pannell, but the former Terrapin anchored his team’s playoff berth by leading the Whips to an incredible Sunday night defensive effort; The Cannons were held to just eight goals in the win-and-in game in front of the Harvard Stadium crowd. Zappitello is the future of a Maryland defense with the two other long poles already crossing age 30. His 2nd Team All-Pro selection is just another vote of confidence as Maryland’s young core looks to make a Championship Series bid in 2026.

4. Chris Kavanagh

Pat Kavanagh, Chris’s brother and Notre Dame teammate, barely aged out of this list. However, the PLL’s Rookie of the Year is on a trajectory to be in a similar position as his brother thanks to his amazing spring and summer with the California Redwoods. In fact, the brothers tied each other in points this past season (37).  Kavanagh fell to the Redwoods in the second round of last May’s draft (#10 Overall), and made opposing teams pay by leading all rookies with 37 points and 23 goals. Similar to his time with the Fighting Irish, Kavanagh shined in the playoffs; he tallied a hat trick in the opening round to push the ‘Woods over Carolina. He became one of California’s best players after just his first season in the league. Fans should be excited for more Outlaws-Redwoods “Kavanagh Bowl” matchups to receive primetime tv slots, but also for Chris to reunite with his brother Pat on the San Diego Seals.

5. Coulter Mackesy

Mackesy, Boston’s third overall pick and prized offensive weapon in their post-Kavanagh rebuild, tallied multiple goals in all but two games in 2025. His best moment came in Boston’s homecoming weekend, tallying four goals in a razor-thin contest against the Redwoods. He formed a strong 1-2 punch with veteran All-Star Marcus Holman, and will improve as young midfielders such as Ben Ramsey gain experience. However, Mackesy’s young legacy grew in October with his recent selections to multiple Team USA tournaments. He was named to the Atlas Cup to play alongside Mac O’Keefe and Connor Shellenberger; he brings size and marksman-shooting that matches up well in both Sixes style and traditional international play. 

Honorable Mentions:

Aidan Carroll followed up a standout season at Georgetown with a fantastic 29-point rookie season with the Whipsnakes. While he did inherit a loaded attack room (TJ Malone and Rob Pannell among others), he helped out the entire offensive unit by being yet another stick to guard. His best game came in the opening round of the PLL Playoffs, notching four goals on the largest stage of his professional career.

Owen Hiltz began his PLL journey late due to the visa process, but the 24-year-old was posting some of the best per-game numbers in the entire league once he stepped onto the field. He was a crucial piece to the “Cardiac Chaos” and their run to a PLL Playoff berth with such a young roster. Hiltz and his rookie teammate Jackson Eicher quickly formed one of the best young attack duos in the league. His outstanding play was rewarded in September as the Toronto Rock (NLL) called his name 3rd overall in the draft.

There are so many names that could be included on the list: it would be an entirely different ranking if 25 year olds were included. However, these players have proved in college seasons and their 1-2 years of PLL play that they have the consistency to ensure a consistent career of terrorizing the lacrosse world.