(Photo: Ryder John/Instagram)

Shawn Nadelen and the Towson Tigers got a commitment in the 2024 class on Friday afternoon as St. Xavier (Ky.) defenseman Ryder John verbaled to the CAA power.

John also considered Brown, UMass, Robert Morris, and Queens before pulling the trigger on the Tigers.

The third commitment in the class for the Tigers, John joins Boy’s Latin (Md.) LSM Nick Chan and Cushing Academy (Mass.) goalie Daniel Domeniconi.

“I fell in love with the campus and connected with the coaches really well,” John told Lacrosse Bucket. “And most importantly go to a place where I can get a good education and compete for a national championship.”

The 6-foot-2, 205-pound defenseman is an aggressive and versatile pole who not only thrives on the back end as a big, physical defender, but also has the stick skills and speed to impact the game in transition and help spark early offense. He had 19 points off eight goals and 11 assists last spring while helping to lead St. Xavier to a Kentucky state championship. His speed, physicality, and hustle is what stands out the most with John’s game as he is able to impact the game on multiple levels.

John noted the influence of his football background on his lacrosse play, saying, “I love to put kids on the turf and push some transition.”

A native of Louisville, Kentucky, John joins high school teammate Trevor Havill (Ohio State) as the second DI commit out of the Bluegrass in the 2024 class. John is the second pole from St. Xavier to find a DI home in the past two cycles, joining teammate and 2023 Bellarmine LSM commit Jackson Campisano.

On being from Kentucky, John said it gives him a chip on his shoulder every time he steps on the field. “Especially not being respected by most players when I’d say I’m from Louisville, Kentucky. And showing kids that it is possible to be from Kentucky and find success on the lacrosse field. I just want to inspire younger generations of Kentucky ballers to work hard and chase your dreams.”

Heading into his junior season, John said that his main goal is to help earn St. Xavier another state championship. Secondly, he said he wants to be able to assist in his team being more competitive against some of the tougher national competition the Tigers often have on their schedule.