May 26, 2026
By Adam Ruffner
Some players making repeat appearances this week are starting to make their marks beyond just being "impressive for a rookie". Toronto has found a new quarterback during their three-game win streak, while the the East Division features three of the most prolific block getters in the early going.
Lander Decraene, Boston Glory
Tied for second in the association in blocks after just his first four games, the elder Decraene has been a layout merchant on throws in the flat, and his explosiveness in the handler space continues to yield short-field break scores for Boston. Decraene’s ability to neutralize opponents at the point of attack has a demoralizing effect on the opposition, and is partially responsible for his outsized scoring numbers; despite playing nearly 94 percent of his points on defense, Decraene is one score shy of second on the Glory.
Raymond Lu, DC Breeze
Tasked with a backfield assignment on Jack Williams in Week 5, Lu produced his third straight start with a takeaway, and the first multi-block performance of his young career. Lu is quick, agile, and decisive in making reads, making him yet another in a long line of thrower irritants on the Breeze D-line. He’s also shown flashes of his counterattacking potential as both a passer and receiver, and is quietly averaging just under two goals per start.
Charlie Panarella, New York Empire
Panarella collected his second layout stuff in as many games last Saturday, and is now just one of 12 players* this season to average two or more blocks per game. More importantly, Panarella helped derail DC’s deep attack that centered around Sean Mott, and held the prolific passer to season lows in assists (1) and completed hucks (0); the rookie also showed no hesitation in sharing words with the notorious talker Mott.
* Minimum two starts
Max Pettenuzzo, Toronto Rush
After just his first two starts—both Rush wins—Pettenuzzo is first among all rookies* in scoring, completions, and total yardage per game, and has continually showcased a veteran’s field vision and sense of the moment. Pettenuzzo’s tempo as a passer combined with Martin Gallant’s raw speed in space has the Rush offense looking more reliable than in seasons past, even if there is a perceived depreciation in top-end talent on the Toronto roster compared to the Euro-import heavy lineup of 2025. Put simply: Pettenuzzo is a gamer, and the Rush are in contention for their first playoff berth since 2019, with a highly anticipated home game against DC this coming Friday.
Eric Zhuang, Toronto Rush
Another defender tied with the aforementioned Decraene near the top of the league leaderboards in takeaways, Zhuang has wreaked havoc downfield for a surprisingly stingy Rush defense. Last year, Toronto had the second worst coverage against the longball, and allowed opponents to complete 69 percent of their huck attempts. In 2026 that number has plummeted to 51 percent, and the Rush are third overall in deep defense; Zhuang has three straight starts with two or more blocks, and his top end speed has continually allowed him to close the gap on ambitious deep throws.
David Snead, Vegas Bighorns
For the first time in 2026, the Bighorns packed some punch in Week 5 thanks to the deep throwing of David Snead. He produced 429 total yards and went 3-of-3 from range against San Diego, and now leads the team in scoring after the first five Vegas games.
