May 19, 2026
By Adam Ruffner
As the 2026 schedule moves into the meat of the season and we round towards the Memorial Day holiday, rookies are finding their footing, with more than just a few making noticeable impacts on potential title contenders. Oakland's pipeline might be the most fruitful in the nation over the past three seasons, while New York has unearthed defenders to bolster last season's aging defense.
Chander Boyd-Fliegel, Oakland Spiders
After slightly dinging him for turnovers in last week’s writeup, Boyd-Fliegel finished Week 4 with his third zero-throwaway performance in the first five starts of his career. The Oregon product is top three on the Spiders in scoring*, total yards, and huck completions, and has notched at least four scores in four of his five appearances. Like the entire Oakland team, Boyd-Fliegel seems perpetually in rhythm.
* Boyd-Fliegel leads all UFA rookies in scoring through May 19
Enzo Forget, Montreal Royal
Over just his last two starts, Forget is 87-of-88 with seven assists, 5-of-5 from deep, and 841 throwing yards despite both games ending in losses. The 6’1” slinger sets up his long range attack by starting upfield and gouging towards the backfield. Opposing defenses haven’t caught on to just how formidable Forget can be firing from a sideline position, and it’s allowed him to become another offensive all-star alongside Malik Auger-Semmar and Christophe Tremblay-Joncas.
Charlie Panarella, New York Empire
Thanks to the stat tracking by broadcaster Dan Hilton in the Empire’s blowout win, we know that Paranella had the most statistically impactful rookie debut (five goals, two blocks, +7) in New York’s illustrious franchise history. The bespectacled Georgetown speedster collected a layout block and a sky over a league legend to begin his pro resume, and could be a valuable end-of-roster add in upcoming matchups. Paranella is active for this coming weekend’s big rematch with the DC Breeze, and his athleticism is needed to try to slow down DC’s evolving fastbreak attack on offense.
Grady Richman, Atlanta Hustle
Probably the biggest omission from last week’s first rookie report of the season, Richman now has back-to-back games with big plays in the fourth quarter against playoff-level competition. The 18-year-old showcased a textbook boxout goal against San Diego in Week 3, and followed it up on Saturday with this laser beam of a throw on a much-needed offensive drive down by two with under three minutes to play in regulation. Just how unflappable is the rook? Atlanta’s first look at the endzone in sudden death was an attempt for Richman, which speaks volumes about the team’s confidence in him given the level of established roles on the Hustle O-line.
Simon Ruelle, Montreal Royal
Ruelle continues to pick up steam as a scoring option as the season progresses, and has averaged 5.7 scores and 253 receiving yards over his last three starts. A natural field stretcher at his size and speed, Ruelle has a refined game inside small spaces with a quick throwing release, which has made him especially effective inside the red zone.
Wiebe van den Brink, DC Breeze
For as underwhelming as his first pro game was on the stat sheet—van den Brink recorded straight cardio minutes in 14 points against the Glory on April 25, with three completions and zero other counting stats to his name—the flying dutchman has been blanketing the lanes and running transition like an All Defense nominee since. Van den Brink has recorded a 1A-1G-1D line in three straight starts, and his coverage pressure has been especially valuable on a DC D-line dealing with injuries and a good deal of inexperience at the beginning of their campaign.
James Whealan, Oakland Spiders
It’s easy to miss Whealan on a Spiders team with so many fast-moving legs, but don’t sleep on yet another spring defender in their arsenal. Like fellow Cal Poly teammates Anton Orme and Kyle Lew, Whealan comes equipped with hardnosed intensity and a ball-hawking flair for discs in his area code. He swooped up a Callahan in the first matchup with the Shred, and has been active in patrolling offside space with his speed.
Nicholas Whitlock, New York Empire (Pictured)
A few days ago Daniel Cohen described Whitlock as a “special teamer” for his unique impact on games with his size and pulls, which I think is a perfect definition for the emerging New Zealand star. Big Nick has a technician’s approach to the game, and his craft is evident on throws. But the real issue for the opposition is that Whitlock is both active and prone to putting himself in the right position at exactly the right times, making him one of the biggest problems to deal with on a New York roster filled with them.
