Top Class of 2027 Girls' Lacrosse Prospects Ahead of Sept. 1

Riley Davis isn’t writing off a future in college basketball. She’s just delaying it.

Basketball will take a backseat to lacrosse for the Academy of Notre Dame (Pa.) junior as it did for Boston College’s Emma LoPinto and Northwestern’s Sammy White, who are using their fifth years of NCAA eligibility to play basketball this winter.

Davis’ decision to focus her athletic future in college on lacrosse will make her one of the most sought-after Class of 2027 recruits in the country when the window for college coaches to contact high school juniors opens September 1.

“She’s going to be rookie of the year somewhere, wherever she goes,” said one Division I college lacrosse coach who asked to remain anonymous. “I think the world of her. I think she’s unreal.”

Davis is a 5-10 powerhouse of a midfielder for a Notre Dame team on the rise. She has great athleticism and instincts, and her basketball IQ translates to understanding how to use space well in lacrosse. She contributes at both ends and is dominant taking the draw.

She’s just beginning to add more to her natural ability. She attended her first and only college lacrosse camp this summer.

“She’s just an insane athlete,” said her HHH club coach, Colleen McGarity. “It’s just fun to watch her get better at lacrosse every single weekend because obviously she’s played so much basketball in her life, she kind of just took the jump to deciding that lacrosse was going to be her main sport in college.”

McGarity, who also coaches Penn Charter (Pa.), saw Davis play basketball first in their schools’ Inter-Ac League matchup.

“Then someone was like, ‘She’s equally as good at lacrosse, if not better,’” McGarity said. “And they were right.”

Davis scored four goals to lead Notre Dame to a state tournament semifinal upset of Penn Charter in the spring.

“My husband calls her the cheat code,” Notre Dame head coach Anna McNevin said. “There’s nothing she can’t do and can’t do well. She’s unbelievable.”

And yet everyone expects Davis will get much better. Her biggest upside for college coaches is how much more she can develop as she focuses on lacrosse. She grew up playing the game from an early age, but it was balanced with basketball and even a little field hockey — Notre Dame boasts the No. 1 field hockey team in the country — from middle school through ninth grade.

“I don’t think that’s a bad thing because we all have different journeys,” Davis said. “That was just my journey to do it a separate way than everyone else.”

Her arrival has elevated Notre Dame. Now entering her third year at the school, McNevin is building around the likes of Boston College commit Keira McHugh and Davis, who was one of only two sophomores named Inter-Ac first team in the spring along with Agnes Irwin’s Kelsey Young.

Davis was the only freshman on the 2024 first team.

“I’ll never have another like her,” McNevin said. “She is a once-in-a-lifetime.”

Davis also was named MVP of Inter-Ac girls’ basketball last year, one day after she scored a career-high 33 points in the state tournament quarterfinals. Versatile enough to play everything from point guard to power forward, she averaged 16 points, six rebounds, five assists and two steals per game while leading Notre Dame to its first outright league title in 26 years.

The season followed the summer of 2024 when she barnstormed the country with the Githens Comets AAU team, playing only a couple of lacrosse tournaments. Davis had received mid-major and light high major interest for basketball.

Despite all that success on the hardwood, she realized for the first time that she missed playing lacrosse. It started to shape her big decision between two sports that she’s always played and alternated which she wanted to pursue.

“Lacrosse, it just came to me more naturally and I decided to play that at the end of my basketball season,” Davis said. “This was my first year not playing AAU in the summer. It was really, really hard for me to make a decision, but I feel like I definitely made the right one.”

Davis’ decision followed deep family conversations. Her mother, the former Megan McGonagle, played lacrosse and soccer at Rutgers and went on to be named Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Coach of the Year in both sports at Marist. She also was a strong basketball player in high school. Her father, Ben Davis, played Major League Baseball for seven years after being the second overall draft pick by the San Diego Padres in 1995.

Davis is the third of their four children. Her older brother, Tague, is a pro baseball prospect who was an ACC All-Freshman Team pick after setting the Louisville freshman home run record. Her older sister, Finley, is a senior at Notre Dame and committed to play lacrosse at Furman. Her younger brother, Mickey, is still years away from high school.

“They’re really good at putting a lot of this in perspective for her and keeping her humble and calm and not freaking out; ‘This is supposed to be the fun thing we do,’” McNevin said. “It’s stressful, but it should be fun. So, I think her parents and even her brother being in the draft and Finley going to play Division I, I think they do a really good job of keeping things in perspective.”

While Davis previously played up a year for her mother’s True Belles club team so she could play alongside her sister, last fall for the first time she switched over to the HHH 2027 club.

This summer, Davis attended her first-ever lacrosse camp at North Carolina, and she played a full circuit of showcase events, drawing comparisons to North Carolina sophomore Eliza Osburn at Rising Junior Best In Class.

Her summer showings have her at the top of call lists for Sept. 1, the first day college coaches can contact Class of 2027 recruits. She’s hoping to take the approach that her older brother did by staying open to all options but also not leading on any teams and visiting schools to narrow her selection.

“Hopefully I don’t feel a lot of pressure,” Davis said. “I'll obviously feel some because it’s going to be a month of just non-stop talking to coaches, but I’m excited to see where things go. I’m going to know what college I’m going to in a couple of months, which I think is crazy because [it feels like] I was just in freshman year.”

Finding the best college fit is the next step on Davis’ journey that took some turns the last two years. There’s still basketball, but it’s lacrosse in which she’s considered a slam dunk.

NAMES TO KNOW

After talking to college, club and high school coaches, here are 11 players in the Class of 2027 whose stock rose the most this summer — and whose phones will be buzzing Sept. 1. 

Sara Callahan

Position: Defense  
High School:  Milton Academy (Mass.)  
Club: Laxachusetts

The USA U17 Youth National team selection is part of a burgeoning New England area. She features a solid combination of physicality and foot speed. She’s versatile as a 1v1 or zone defender and has been a vocal player, even when young. Milton, which also features another U17 defender in Bridget Hunt, utilized Callahan’s quick first step on the draw circle at times.

Enna Corley

Position: Attack  
High School: Marlborough (Calif.)  
Club: Hero's

Another USA U17 selection, Corley comes east from California for club to challenge herself against the best competition, and she’s stood out among the best. She is exciting to watch with her shifty dodging from any point on the field, her vision and accurate feeds along with her creative finishing with either hand from any place.

Jenna Cratin

Position: Midfield
High School: Marriotts Ridge (Md.
Club: Hero’s

A teammate of Corley’s for Hero’s and U17, Cratin is a fast-rising prospect. She was co-MVP of the New Balance All-America Games. Her outstanding vision allows her to quarterback an offense, while on the defensive end she pressures the ball hard but also has the IQ to know when to slide for team defense. Her stickwork is something special, particularly her ability to use fakes, and combines with her speed to give her an edge.

Riley Davis

Position: Midfield  
High School: Academy of Notre Dame de Namur (Pa.)  
Club: HHH Philly

An athletic, physical, dynamic presence in the middle of all the action, Davis wins draws and scores goals. She’s tough on the ride and she raises the level of those around her. And she’s just scratching the surface of what she’ll do down the line as she devotes more time to the game.

Quinlan Heilbron

Position: Defense  
High School: Ward Melville (N.Y.)  
Club: Long Island Yellow Jackets

In a deep class of defenders, Heilbron stands at the top as the total package of tough, physical, quick and competitive with a commanding presence. She can lock down a player or create havoc. The Yellow Jackets’ high-pressure defense can leave defenders exposed, but she’s so fierce on the ball that attackers are hesitant to dodge on her. She takes away space masterfully and uses instincts to double perfectly to cause turnovers.

Brynn Howes

Position: Goalie  
High School: Maryvale (Md.)  
Club: Hero's

Howes has great quick-twitch reflexes and hand speed. She sees the ball well and reacts fast to move to save it. She traps the ball really well. When Clemson-bound Tess DeLuca was injured last spring, Howes stepped in seamlessly for eventual IAAM champion Maryvale. She brings a calming presence to defenses. She’s the only 2027 goalie on the U17 national team.

Parker Kitchel

Position: Midfield  
High School: McDonogh (Md.)  
Club: M&D Black

Kitchel was named to the All-America Games all-tournament team and had a strong showing at Best in Class this summer following a big sophomore season. She impacts both ends of the field. McDonogh needed her offense more this year, and strong dodging helped lead to 27 goals. She also can play shut-down defense (12 caused turnovers) as well as contribute on the draw.

Jessica McKelvey

Position: Goalie  
High School: Hillsborough (N.J.)  
Club: Triple Threat

A co-MVP performance to lead New Jersey Navy to the American Select 2027 crown and some lights out saves at Best in Class were just some of her summer highlights. McKelvey isn’t big, but she’s got tremendous athleticism and sees the ball well. She’s dynamic and quick to the ball, the sort of game changer that every team covets.

Layla Nick

Position: Midfield  
High School: Orono (Minn.)  
Club: M&D Minnesota

Nick has shined out of a less traditional area. She’s been playing varsity since seventh grade and continues to add to her skill set that features a really smooth stick. Her athleticism is top of the charts, and she can dodge, catch and finish. A gritty player, she’ll chase a player down to cause a turnover. She’s quite capable on the draw circle as well.

Allie Pisano

Position: A  
High School: Victor (N.Y.)  
Club: Aces

A lefty with incredible stick work (one coach said she has a “magic wand”) and a blistering accurate shot, Pisano has worked relentlessly on her game to stay among the elite in her class. She’s strong, explosive and quick to get a step on a defender. She’s athletic enough to play midfield but projects more as a player who can bolster any attack as someone who understands how to finish.

Ryan Rodgers

Position: A/M  
High School: Deerfield (Mass.)  
Club: M&D Black

Rodgers is a dangerous lefty who is a phenomenal creator on the offensive end. Like a Kenzie Kent, the Colorado native has an ice hockey background (she also plays club soccer). She’s quick and can be crafty in traffic but is also strong enough to just muscle through it. She is a ballhawk on the draw circle. She will be a huge pick-up for Deerfield after being All-Conference in the IAAM B for St. Timothy’s (Md.) last spring.