Men’s Lacrosse Alumns Set to Begin 2026 PLL Season
May 06 | Men's Lacrosse
12 former Scarlet Knights are on PLL rosters as the upcoming season nears
PISCATAWAY, N.J. – The 2026 season of the Premier Lacrosse League starts this weekend, with teams heading to Salt Lake City for the opening weekend starting on Friday. 12 former Scarlet Knights are on PLL rosters as the upcoming season nears, among the most alumns across collegiate teams. Rutgers will have representatives on five of the eight pro teams
Knights in the PLL, 2026
Carolina Chaos: Shane Knobloch, Ross Scott, Adam Charalambides, Christian Scarpello
Knobloch, a former First Round Draft Pick of the Chaos, enters his third season with the squad. He has 29 points (20 goals, seven assists) in 17 career games. As a Scarlet Knight, Knobloch was a four-time All-American, three-time All-Conference, Big Ten Freshman of the Year, Big Ten Media of Honor recipient and the USILA's Midfielder of the Year.
Scott also enters his third season with the club after posting 12 goals and eight assists for a career-best 20 points last season. Scott has 37 career points (27 goals, 10 assists) in 23 PLL games. Scott was a three-time All-American as a Scarlet Knight and was a three-time all-conference selection, recording 182 career points.
Charalambides readies for the summer season in the PLL after competing in his fifth season with the NLL's Vancouver Warriors indoors (456 points in 89 NLL games). He has played in 15 career PLL games, scoring 21 goals. Charalambides was a two-time First Team All-Big Ten and 2021 All-American at RU, he totaled 149 goals (second all-time at RU) and 201 points (fifth all-time in program history).
Scarpello has carved out a solid pro career, playing in five different seasons, with the Waterdogs and now the Chaos. He has seen action in 44 games with 54 ground balls, five goals and three assists. Scarpello played in 60 games 'On the Banks' as a short-stick defensive midfielder from 2015-2018 (13 goals, 24 assists, 121 ground balls, 42 caused turnovers)
Maryland Whipsnakes: Joe Juengerkes, Matthew Paolatto, Joe Nardella
Juengerkes is the newest Scarlet Knight in the PLL after being picked up this week by the Maryland Whipsnakes following the 2026 collegiate season. Juengerkes joins the team for training camp seeking to make his PLL debut after two seasons at RU. As a Scarlet Knight, he was a two-time team captain and was a First Team All-Big Ten selection last season after being named an All-American in 2025.
A pair of former RU faceoff specialists will both start the season on the PUP list for the Whipsnakes as Matthew Paolatto and Joe Nardella recover from injuries.
Paolatto comes back to the Whipsnakes for his second year, and most recently excelled in the NLL with the Mammoth. He won 58% of faceoffs, ranking fifth in the league in winning percentage and faceoff wins (238).
In his lone season as a Scarlet Knight in 2025, Paolatto was named an All-American after winning 59.2% of his faceoffs, second in the Big Ten, while also scooping 99 ground balls.
Nardella is a five-time all-star in the PLL, one of the top faceoff men in the world, including time with Team USA. He has played in 111 pro seasons and was third in the league in faceoff winning percentage last season.
At Rutgers, Nardella was a two-time All-American, the Big Ten Specialist of the Year and First Team All-Big Ten as a senior and was a two-time all-conference selection in the BIG EAST.
Denver Outlaws: Brian Cameron
Cameron was with the Cannons in training camp last season and joins the Outlaws for this training camp. Cameron played the 2022 and 2023 seasons at RU, scoring 60 goals with 19 assists.
New York Atlas: Michael Rexrode
Rexrode has been a starting defenseman for the New York Atlas and won the PLL championship last season. He had 14 ground balls and 12 caused turnovers last season, which was his fifth season with the Atlas and eighth pro season overall. A standout defenseman at Rutgers, he was a two-time All-American, two-time First Team All-Big Ten and the 2018 Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year and Medal of Honor winner.
Boston Cannons: Connor Kirst, Colin Kirst, Ethan Rall
The Cannons are the lone PLL team to not officially announce their 25-man as they have a bye on the opening weekend. They are set to bring back three RU alumns.
Connor Kirst enters his sixth PLL season and third with the Cannons. Across 51 PLL games he has scored 39 total goals with seven assists and 74 ground balls. Kirst was an All-American and First Team All-Big Ten selection in 2021 at RU, leading the squad to the NCAA Tournament.
Colin Kirst had 133 saves last season for the Cannons, which was fourth in the league. The goalkeeper has played in 34 games with the Cannons and made 422 saves across four seasons with the club. Kirst was a two-time All-American and two-time First Team All-Big Ten selection at RU, the starting goalkeeper on two NCAA Tournament teams.
Ethan Rall is one of the top long-stick midfielders in the PLL. Last season, he had 13 caused turnovers, third most in the league, along with 23 ground balls. In 32 career PLL games he has caused 47 caused turnovers and has scooped 90 ground balls. Rall was a three-time All-American (twice being named to the First Team) and three-time all-Big Ten selection while at RU.
Jules Heningburg, a four-time All-Star at the pro level, announced his retirement from professional lacrosse this week. The Maplewood, N.J. native had over 140 points in his pro career. At Rutgers, he was a two-time All-American and two-time First Team All-Big Ten selection, finishing second all-time at Rutgers in points.
Rutgers men's lacrosse has established a strong pipeline to the professional ranks. Rutgers boasts a total of 47 alumni all-time between Major League Lacrosse (MLL), the Premier Lacrosse League (PLL) and the National Lacrosse League (NLL). This success placing players in the pros has been accelerated recently, with 35 alumni coached at RU by current head coach Brian Brecht to go on to the professional level.
Knights in the PLL, 2026
Carolina Chaos: Shane Knobloch, Ross Scott, Adam Charalambides, Christian Scarpello
Knobloch, a former First Round Draft Pick of the Chaos, enters his third season with the squad. He has 29 points (20 goals, seven assists) in 17 career games. As a Scarlet Knight, Knobloch was a four-time All-American, three-time All-Conference, Big Ten Freshman of the Year, Big Ten Media of Honor recipient and the USILA's Midfielder of the Year.
Scott also enters his third season with the club after posting 12 goals and eight assists for a career-best 20 points last season. Scott has 37 career points (27 goals, 10 assists) in 23 PLL games. Scott was a three-time All-American as a Scarlet Knight and was a three-time all-conference selection, recording 182 career points.
Charalambides readies for the summer season in the PLL after competing in his fifth season with the NLL's Vancouver Warriors indoors (456 points in 89 NLL games). He has played in 15 career PLL games, scoring 21 goals. Charalambides was a two-time First Team All-Big Ten and 2021 All-American at RU, he totaled 149 goals (second all-time at RU) and 201 points (fifth all-time in program history).
Scarpello has carved out a solid pro career, playing in five different seasons, with the Waterdogs and now the Chaos. He has seen action in 44 games with 54 ground balls, five goals and three assists. Scarpello played in 60 games 'On the Banks' as a short-stick defensive midfielder from 2015-2018 (13 goals, 24 assists, 121 ground balls, 42 caused turnovers)
Maryland Whipsnakes: Joe Juengerkes, Matthew Paolatto, Joe Nardella
Juengerkes is the newest Scarlet Knight in the PLL after being picked up this week by the Maryland Whipsnakes following the 2026 collegiate season. Juengerkes joins the team for training camp seeking to make his PLL debut after two seasons at RU. As a Scarlet Knight, he was a two-time team captain and was a First Team All-Big Ten selection last season after being named an All-American in 2025.
A pair of former RU faceoff specialists will both start the season on the PUP list for the Whipsnakes as Matthew Paolatto and Joe Nardella recover from injuries.
Paolatto comes back to the Whipsnakes for his second year, and most recently excelled in the NLL with the Mammoth. He won 58% of faceoffs, ranking fifth in the league in winning percentage and faceoff wins (238).
In his lone season as a Scarlet Knight in 2025, Paolatto was named an All-American after winning 59.2% of his faceoffs, second in the Big Ten, while also scooping 99 ground balls.
Nardella is a five-time all-star in the PLL, one of the top faceoff men in the world, including time with Team USA. He has played in 111 pro seasons and was third in the league in faceoff winning percentage last season.
At Rutgers, Nardella was a two-time All-American, the Big Ten Specialist of the Year and First Team All-Big Ten as a senior and was a two-time all-conference selection in the BIG EAST.
Denver Outlaws: Brian Cameron
Cameron was with the Cannons in training camp last season and joins the Outlaws for this training camp. Cameron played the 2022 and 2023 seasons at RU, scoring 60 goals with 19 assists.
New York Atlas: Michael Rexrode
Rexrode has been a starting defenseman for the New York Atlas and won the PLL championship last season. He had 14 ground balls and 12 caused turnovers last season, which was his fifth season with the Atlas and eighth pro season overall. A standout defenseman at Rutgers, he was a two-time All-American, two-time First Team All-Big Ten and the 2018 Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year and Medal of Honor winner.
Boston Cannons: Connor Kirst, Colin Kirst, Ethan Rall
The Cannons are the lone PLL team to not officially announce their 25-man as they have a bye on the opening weekend. They are set to bring back three RU alumns.
Connor Kirst enters his sixth PLL season and third with the Cannons. Across 51 PLL games he has scored 39 total goals with seven assists and 74 ground balls. Kirst was an All-American and First Team All-Big Ten selection in 2021 at RU, leading the squad to the NCAA Tournament.
Colin Kirst had 133 saves last season for the Cannons, which was fourth in the league. The goalkeeper has played in 34 games with the Cannons and made 422 saves across four seasons with the club. Kirst was a two-time All-American and two-time First Team All-Big Ten selection at RU, the starting goalkeeper on two NCAA Tournament teams.
Ethan Rall is one of the top long-stick midfielders in the PLL. Last season, he had 13 caused turnovers, third most in the league, along with 23 ground balls. In 32 career PLL games he has caused 47 caused turnovers and has scooped 90 ground balls. Rall was a three-time All-American (twice being named to the First Team) and three-time all-Big Ten selection while at RU.
Jules Heningburg, a four-time All-Star at the pro level, announced his retirement from professional lacrosse this week. The Maplewood, N.J. native had over 140 points in his pro career. At Rutgers, he was a two-time All-American and two-time First Team All-Big Ten selection, finishing second all-time at Rutgers in points.
Rutgers men's lacrosse has established a strong pipeline to the professional ranks. Rutgers boasts a total of 47 alumni all-time between Major League Lacrosse (MLL), the Premier Lacrosse League (PLL) and the National Lacrosse League (NLL). This success placing players in the pros has been accelerated recently, with 35 alumni coached at RU by current head coach Brian Brecht to go on to the professional level.
Players Mentioned
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