Whether you agree or not on the particular players selected as an IL Top 10, one thing is very clear…..the recruiting landscape has changed and the hotbed areas no longer rule the recruiting landscape. Club owners/recruiting directors in the hotbed areas no longer have the political pull with college coaches they once had. The commitments in the 2024 class proves this. Even more than the 2023 and 2022 classes. I have a 2018 daughter who played at a top college lacrosse program and now I have a 2023 daughter who will be playing at a top D2 program (her choice, she did have D1 interest but not the right schools). My 2018 daughter and most of her college lacrosse playing friends didn’t start club until 7th grade. My 2023 daughter started club in 3rd grade. The recruiting classes now have been playing club level lacrosse for many more years than any class before them. And there were so many more club teams from all over the country in my younger daughter’s tournaments. Her team always played A bracket level and the team makeups in the A bracket was significantly different! Great for the game of lacrosse but hard to swallow by a parent who has lived their entire life in a hot bed area.
Coaches at colleges are trying to get kids closer to their school. Means less lax money given out. Top kids are still from the hotbed areas or join teams in hotbed areas. They were making sure they found the best school and are getting the most money. Now that some are committing you will see other good players speed up to find their school.
