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Most players have to wait some time before they find out if their dream school is interested in recruiting them once Sept. 1 rolls around.

Fortunately for Nick Testa, he’s not most players. The Team 91 2026 Storm offensive weapon always has had his sights set on playing for perennial powerhouse Johns Hopkins for a long time. When Sept. 1 came around and schools could start contacting class of 2026 recruits, the Blue Jays got to him early.

“Ever since I was little, I wanted to be in the medical field, and I’ve always been a big Hopkins fan,” Testa said. “They were my first call on Sept. 1, and that stuck out to me. (Assistant coach) Coach (Brian) Kelly told me, ‘get ready, we’re going to dinner tonight,’ and he flew down to have dinner with me that night.”

Committed to the Blue Jays

It’s safe to say that the move left a lasting impression on Testa. He didn’t need much more convincing, and, shortly thereafter, committed to Hopkins. Testa is the third ’26 Storm player to verbal, all to Division I schools. Saint Andrew’s (Fla.) teammate Dylan Faison was the first after he verballed to Notre Dame football in March before recently announcing plans to also play lacrosse for the Irish. Goalie DJ Xavier (Rocky Point) was the first post-9.1 verbal for the Storm after he committed to the admissions process at Cornell.

“Hopkins is well-known for its prestigious medical school and I want to be a dermatologist, so it was a very big part of what I was looking for,” Testa said. “They also finished top-5 last year, so it had everything that I wanted to do for the future.”

A unanimous four-star and top-50 recruit by the NLF, Inside Lacrosse and Prep Lacrosse, Testa has long been one of the best players in the class across the country. What he lacks in size, he makes up in skill, toughness, heart and versatility. The South Florida standout made the move to Team 91 a few years ago and helped take the team to another level. That rise culminated this summer in the NLF National Championship win, a game in which Testa scored twice and dished out two assists.

Move North Pays Dividends

The move to join the top club in the country would be daunting for some, but Testa welcomed the challenge and took it head on. It helped change and improve his game while also still allowing him to use the skillset that he’d developed at his younger age.

“It was a big switch going to Long Island lacrosse,” Testa said. (Storm assistant coach) Coach (Dan) Paccione definitely opened my eyes and showed me different perspectives, like how to read the defense and how to attack it. The exposure part of 91 was also humongous for me. It’s a huge brand name and a founding member of the NLF, and that really put me in the spotlight for coaches to see me.”

Testa Makes His Teammates Better

As the ’26 Storm head coach, Sal Locascio‘s had a front-row seat to Testa’s development. He’s seen Testa pile up the points no matter where he lines up on the field, but Locascio’s been even more impressed with Testa’s ability to help elevate the play of those around him. It’s a trait that he expects to translate well to the next level for Hopkins coach Peter Milliman and his staff.

“Nick has been one of the most productive players in the country for a long time, and he helped take our team to another level once he joined 91,” Locascio said. “His ability to create mismatches as both an attackman and midfielder is part of what makes him such a special player. More importantly, though, he’s a terrific leader who leads both by example and through his words. Nick wants to win so badly and he’ll do anything that he has to do to make sure that we win. He’ll play attack, midfield, SSDM, whatever the team needs. Coach Milliman and his staff landed one of the best all-around players in the country. We’re so excited for Nick and we know that he’ll do great things on Homewood for the Blue Jays.”

Team 91 2026 Storm
College Commitments

Dylan Faison, midfield, Saint Andrew’s (Fla.) – Notre Dame
Blake Farnsworth, LSM/D, St. Anne’s Belfield (Va.) – Dartmouth
Hansen Peck, attack, Lawrenceville (N.J.) – Syracuse
Nick Testa, attack/midfield, Saint Andrew’s (Fla.) – Johns Hopkins
DJ Xavier, goalie, Rocky Point – Cornell