Brendan Hoffman, the 6-foot-6 bulldozer who has been a driving force behind Williams’ rise to No. 1 in the Nike/US Lacrosse Division III Men’s Preseason Top 20, has been named the US Lacrosse Magazine Division III Men’s Preseason Player of the Year.

Preseason accolades, along with Top 20 rankings, will be featured in the January edition of US Lacrosse Magazine, which drops Jan. 2.

The Darien, Conn., native earned first-team All-American and All-NESCAC honors in 2019 after a breakout performance of 55 goals and 19 assists. He led the Ephs to a program-record 18 wins and an NCAA semifinal berth.

“He’s so tough to defend since he’s a double threat with both hands,” Williams coach George McCormack said. “He took his game to the next level last year by being able to go both ways with the ball. It added some unpredictability.”

With the No. 1 ranking putting Williams squarely in the spotlight, Hoffman will have every opportunity to show off his skills.

­Jonathan Sigal contributed to this story.