With the 2025 Lexus Championship Series just eight days away, that also means that free agency is right around the corner. The Open Discussion period starts on Feb. 18, the day after the Champ Series Championship, before Free Agency opens on March 3. 

As such, there are a number of players who will compete at The St. James next week before hitting the open market shortly thereafter. The Champ Series has provided an opportunity for some standouts – such as Brendan Krebs in 2023 and Ronan Jacoby in 2024 – to earn contracts for the summer because of their performances in February.

The Sixes tournament is an opportunity for newcomers to shine and for known quantities to showcase their abilities in the Olympic format. With that in mind, here are the top 10 players at the Champ Series who are set to be free agents on March 3. 

1. Myles Jones, Midfield

Jones was resurgent in 2024 as the 6-foot-5, 250-pound midfielder bullied short- and long-stick matchups all summer long. With a full head of steam, Jones is one of the most terrifying players in lacrosse. The nuances of his game – including his feeding prowess and his nimble footwork for such a big player – have made him a position-defining player over the last decade.

Jones will make his Champ Series debut on a stacked New York Atlas team. His playing style projects to adapt to the Sixes format. Not only will his overwhelming physicality be difficult to contain on a smaller field without long sticks, but his step-down shot will strike fear in goalies. Of players suiting up for the Champ Series, Jones has the fifth-most PLL goals from 13 yards out. 

Potential fits (in alphabetical order): Carolina Chaos, New York Atlas, Utah Archers

2. Koby Smith, LSM

Smith is a certified playmaker in the middle of the field. He can rip two-bombs, create turnovers and dominate on the ground, and he has the physical tools to be a quality midfield defender in the PLL. He was part of a dangerous Atlas long-stick midfield tandem in 2024 and should be a free agent prize for whichever club signs him for 2025.

After being a key cog in the Atlas’ defensive lineup in 2023, Smith is back at the Champ Series in 2025. Should he thrive in the open field, that could be an added reminder to league general managers of his impact during the summer months.

Potential fits: New York Atlas, Utah Archers

3. Chet Comizio, SSDM

Comizio throws one of the best crowbars in lacrosse as he can entirely disrupt dodgers with a quick swipe of his hands. The Villanova product settled himself in the Atlas short-stick defensive midfield group alongside Danny Logan, fitting a similar mold as his veteran counterpart. He can bolster any defense that needs to fill a hole at SSDM. 

Comizio will be a crucial piece of New York’s defensive core next week. The Atlas offense is loaded with talent, and Comizio’s presence and comfort guarding with a short stick could be an X-factor for New York. If he can lock down a few of the tournament’s biggest offensive weapons, that’d be another feather in the 25-year-old’s cap.

Potential fits: Maryland Whipsnakes, New York Atlas

4. Ryan Aughavin, Midfield

Aughavin is a potentially underrated dodging midfielder who can shoot and feed with both hands. The Brown product had his coming-out party in the 2023 Cash App Championship with a two-pointer and a gorgeous cross-field assist to Mac O’Keefe. He never quite found his footing for the Archers in 2024, shooting 8.3% on the season. But, with the right opportunity, Aughavin could be a consistent producer out of the box as a speedy downhill dodger who can stretch the field as a 30% career two-point shooter.

Aughavin tied for the 10th-most points in the inaugural Championship Series back in 2023. His four two-pointers were sixth in the tournament, and his 50% shooting from behind the arc was tied for fourth among players with at least one two-point attempt per game. An injury meant he only appeared in two games last February, so he’ll be hunting a return to 2023 form ahead of free agency.

Potential fits: California Redwoods, Carolina Chaos, Utah Archers

5. Dylan Molloy, Attack/Midfield

Molloy was made to play Sixes lacrosse. In 2023, he scored 23 points (sixth-most in the league) to help lead the Chrome to the first Champ Series title. Absorbing his shoulder to the chest is already a lot to ask of a defender with a long pole. But with a short stick on a condensed field? Forget about it. 

Molloy had a promising start to the 2024 summer season with six points in three games. Once the Atlas got healthy, however, he fell out of the lineup. He’ll be hoping that another strong showing in the Sixes format can earn him a chance at a consistent spot this summer.

Potential fits: Carolina Chaos, New York Atlas

6. Cole Williams, Midfield

While Molloy owned the righty wing of the Chrome offense in 2023, Williams manned the lefty side and scored 18 points (eighth-most in the tournament) in five games that year. His physical brand of dodging was difficult for opponents to contain, especially while playing alongside fellow bruisers like Molloy and Logan Wisnauskas. 

The Archers initially traded for Williams in December 2023 to bolster its Champ Series lineup. After suffering a torn meniscus while playing for Utah last February, he’ll play in his first game in nearly a year next week. Following a summer of watching from the sidelines, the 6-foot-5 lefty will be raring to go as the Archers aim to win their first Championship Series crown.

Potential fits: California Redwoods, Carolina Chaos, Utah Archers

7. Keegan Khan, Midfield

Khan joined the Atlas roster this offseason after three years with the Whipsnakes. He was a productive depth piece during his first two seasons in the league, scoring 16 points in 15 regular-season games. He fell victim to the club’s youth movement in 2024, though, as rookies TJ Malone, Levi Anderson and Adam Poitras flooded the 19-man roster. 

Khan notched 11 points in four games for the Whips in the 2023 Champ Series, so he’s an underrated pickup for the Atlas for February. How he performs at The St. James could determine his market come March. 

Potential fits: California Redwoods, Maryland Whipsnakes, New York Atlas

8. Ronan Jacoby, Midfield

Jacoby was one of the highlights of the 2024 Champ Series with the seventh-most points and the fifth-most two-pointers in the tournament. His nine-point performance against the Redwoods was one heck of a coming-out party. 

While Utah finished the week 0-4, Jacoby earned himself a contract with the Atlas in 2024 free agency. He appeared in six games for New York during the summer season and tallied five points. Yet he only played in two games after June with fellow lefties Payton Cormier and Logan McGovern earning gameday roster spots over him. Once again, the Champ Series is a chance for Jacoby to flash and take another step towards earning a contract and a steady roster spot for the summer.

Potential fits: California Redwoods, New York Atlas, Utah Archers

9. Jack VanOverbeke, Attack/Midfield

VanOverbeke was a late-season revelation for the Archers with his six points in the club’s final two games of the regular season in Salt Lake City, helping Utah clinch the Western Conference title. His overtime game-winner versus the Redwoods was especially electric, and those performances earned him a roster spot for the team’s title run. Now, VanOverbeke is one of Utah’s four lefty offensive players for the Champ Series alongside O’Keefe, Williams and Ryan Ambler. 

Potential fits: Boston Cannons, Utah Archers, California Redwoods

10. Jacob Angelus, Attack/Midfield

Angelus could be the next Jacoby. The 2024 Johns Hopkins graduate is a speedy righty attackman who can create for himself and others. He’s also a capable off-ball threat. Angelus scored 201 career points at Hopkins while shooting 37.4%. His hometown of Chantilly, Va., is a mere 20 miles from The St. James, so he’ll have hometown support as he looks to complement the Whipsnakes’ stars, including Matt Rambo and Malone. If he produces at a high clip next week, he could be a free agent pickup for a club looking for an invert threat.

Potential fits: California Redwoods, Maryland Whipsnakes