Way-Early 2026 Division I Men's Rankings: 20-16

USA Lacrosse Magazine’s way-early look at the 2026 men’s season rolls on with a couple programs coming off back-to-back conference tournament titles — plus a few more that will be looking to get back to the postseason next spring. Today’s segment: Nos. 16-20.

Previously: Nos. 25-21

20. MICHIGAN

2025 record: 7-7 (3-2 Big Ten)

Last seen: Dropping a rematch with Rutgers in the first round of the Big Ten tournament, an 11-8 loss that ended the Wolverines’ hopes of a third consecutive conference title.

Projected starts lost: 64 of 140 (45.7 percent)

Projected scoring departing: 117 of 236 points (49.6 percent)

Initial forecast: All three Wolverines who landed on one of the all-Big Ten teams — attackman Ryan Cohen (20G, 26A), midfielder Aidan Mulholland (23G, 8A) and defenseman Pace Billings (24CT, 58GB) — have departed, so at minimum Michigan isn’t going to be headlined by familiar names. That’s far from an impossible obstacle to overcome, but this wasn’t a team that easily generated offense, and it doesn’t have a 20-goal scorer back. That will leave plenty on a new offensive coordinator’s plate after Scott Bieda left for league rival Rutgers. Having goalie Hunter Taylor, who finished with a .528 save percentage after posting a .559 mark in six games against conference opponents, back for his senior year will provide stability to a defense that largely played well in 2025 but lost two starters to graduation. The Wolverines’ recent history suggests their best stretch of the year will come primarily against Big Ten opponents; given the new-look lineup they’ll field, that trend will probably hold up next season.

19. UALBANY

2025 record: 10-9 (4-2 America East)

Last seen: Falling 15-6 at top-seeded Cornell in the first round of the NCAA tournament.

Projected starts lost: 18 of 180 (10 percent)

Projected scoring departing: 46 of 364 points (12.6 percent)

Initial forecast: Not to spoil anything for the rest of this week-long exercise, but UAlbany is the only team in the way-early top 25(ish) to lose less than 20 percent of either its starts or its scoring from last season (let alone both). Now, nothing’s automatic, and the Great Danes don’t need to look any further back than this past spring to recognize the dangers of thinking it might be. Still, things are set up well for Scott Marr’s bunch to make a run at a third consecutive America East title and perhaps even avoid a date in a play-in game like the last two years. UAlbany is set to return all six of its 20-point performers from last year, a group led by Silas Richmond (43G, 46A) and Ryan Doherty (45G, 16A). Richmond was the America East’s offensive player of the year; his defensive counterpart was Max Neeson (6G, 27CT), and like Richmond, he’ll be a senior in 2026. The Great Danes have hit the 10-win mark the last two seasons, and this group could very well be capable of getting into the teens.

18. TOWSON

2025 record: 11-7 (7-0 CAA)

Last seen: Allowing Princeton to shoot 52.4 percent in a 22-12 NCAA tournament loss, Towson’s second consecutive ouster in the opening weekend of the postseason.

Projected starts lost: 88 of 170 (51.8 percent)

Projected scoring departing: 105 of 329 points (31.9 percent)

Initial forecast: The Tigers went a combined 18-0 against CAA opponents the last two seasons including a pair of league tournament titles, and they have won 18 consecutive regular season conference games dating back to 2023. Shawn Nadelen has the program in a good spot, and Towson will have some top-line answers in the form of Mikey Weisshaar (48G, 24A), Ronan Fitzpatrick (43G, 11A) and Joaquin Villagomez (33G, 12A in 2024), the latter back from a redshirt season. Look for Kai Lopez (.496), who took about 30 percent of the Tigers’ draws as a freshman, to step in for longtime faceoff man Matt Constantinides (.495). Towson does have to replace a pair of starters on close defense (Joe Petro and Conor Spagnolli) as well as long pole Sam Morin, and it has a vacancy at goalie after Luke Downs’ graduation after an up-and-down senior year. How quickly things come together at that end of the field will likely determine the Tigers’ floor early in the season and its ceiling once May arrives.

17. JOHNS HOPKINS

2025 record: 6-8 (0-5 Big Ten)

Last seen: Dropping six in a row to close out a once-promising season before the end of April.

Projected starts lost: 60 of 140 (42.9 percent)

Projected scoring departing: 59 of 227 points (26 percent)

Initial forecast: Here’s a couple items to chew on before casting an eye toward 2026. Johns Hopkins didn’t have anyone score more than 23 goals last season. Toss aside the abbreviated 2020 campaign, and that’s the fewest for a Blue Jays team leader since 1990. No Hopkins player had more than 33 points; excluding 2020, that’s the lowest figure to lead Hopkins since 1971. Losing Russell Melendez by midseason hurt, but those statistical nuggets suggest there just weren’t enough threats (particularly on attack) to make opposing defenses sweat. Making matters worse, the Blue Jays head forward without Logan Callahan (.608 faceoff percentage), who was arguably their most valuable player last season. Midfielder Matt Collison (21G, 12A) enters his senior year as the Blue Jays’ greatest known and the only returnee to earn an All-America nod of some kind last season. Hopkins is going to be relatively unheralded heading into the spring, though the same thing was true at the dawn of 2023 and the Blue Jays went out and made the NCAA quarterfinals. Perhaps history can repeat itself at Homewood.

16. BOSTON U

2025 record: 11-5 (6-2 Patriot)

Last seen: Surrendering a season high in goals while dropping a 17-10 decision to Colgate in the Patriot League final.

Projected starts lost: 61 of 160 (38.1 percent)

Projected scoring departing: 105 of 314 points (33.4 percent)

Initial forecast: After four consecutive 10-win seasons and a winning record in the Patriot League every year since 2019, no one should anticipate much slippage from the Terriers in any year. And while there are some real graduation losses — attackman Jimmy O’Connell (34G, 33A), goalie Will Barnes (.575SV%) and long pole Trey Brown are the headliners on that front — Ryan Polley’s program isn’t going anywhere. Five of Boston U’s top six in points are back, most notably Patriot League Rookie of the Year Timothy Shannehan (32G, 29A). Midfielder Andrew Pape (17G, 3A) had a fine debut season as well, and rising senior defenseman Connor Kehm forced 30 turnovers last season. In just a dozen years, the Terriers have established strong lineages at both goalie and long pole, and it will be interesting to see who’s next at both spots. One of this program’s greatest strengths is its aggressive identity, and its devotion to the 10-man ride is a risk/reward calculation that pays off more often than not. Boston U knows who it is, an invaluable trait that could put it in position to earn a fourth trip to the Patriot League title game in five years — and possibly more than that.