An Early Look At Recruiting Rankings
An Early Look At Recruiting Rankings
An early look at the 2018 recruiting class rankings.
The first day senior recruits can sign their National Letters of Intent is Nov. 8. With that date only a few weeks away, it's time to look at how the recruiting race is shaping up so far.
The number next to the recruit is where he falls on the 2018 Big Board. There is no consideration for guys who have not yet committed, so these will change as the remainder of top kids pledge to a school. This list only goes to 10, but the end-of-year comprehensive rankings will include more teams being ranked as well as honorable mention.
A reminder, as of this writing, Aaron Brooks, Trent Hidlay, Mason Parris, Brayton Lee, and Sammy Sasso are the highest-ranked recruits yet to verbally commit. Check out the complete list of 2018 verbal commits here.
No. 4 Michael Beard
No. 9 Gavin Teasdale
No. 13 Roman Bravo-Young
No. 26 Seth Nevills
No. 20 Joe Lee
No. 34 Brody Teske
Brandon Meredith
Not sure what else needs to be said. Even Arizona State's much-ballyhooed 2015 class might look pedestrian compared to the way people feel about Penn State's 2018 class. The Nittany Lions have received commitments from seven of the top 35, and they address pretty much any lineup holes. With the sheer volume of this class, PSU's place at the top of the list this year will be undisputed, even if a kid or two decommits.
No. 56 Patrick McKee
No. 98 Ryan Thomas
Kasper McIntosh
Garrett Joles
Gable Steveson might be the most obvious No. 1 recruit in a long, long time. Mark Hall was also a consensus top guy, but the gap between Gable and any No. 2 is much bigger than it was for Hall and then-No. 2 Nick Suriano. Why does that matter? Hammers are disproportionately valuable in wrestling. Case in point, Joey Dance was an incredible wrestler who scored 32 career points at the NCAA tournament; Zain Retherford scored 28 just last year. That's the type of guy Gable can be for the Gophers.
Steveson's commitment alone is probably enough to have Minnesota ranked in the top five, but the Gophers have also received pledges from WNO winner and Fargo champ Patrick McKee and Ryan Thomas, a stud out of St. Paris Graham (Ohio). McKee's stock continues to rise in my book, and a strong Super 32 could cement him as one of the best 125lb prospects in this class. It's hard not to feel good about Thomas after seeing him beat Mason Reiniche and Erich Byelick this past weekend at the Grappler Fall Classic.
No. 22 Jaden Mattox
No. 40 Malik Heinselman
No. 52 Rocky Jordan
Braeden Redlin
Jashon Hubbard
Kyle Gruber
Nate Keaton
The Nos. 3-5 teams are a little more subjective based upon what you value. I personally love Gavin Hoffman, and I think he proved he can be right there with Michael Beard in college. Jaden Mattox is an absolute terror on top.
Malik Heinselman is another tough one to peg. I don't have the same size concerns some do about him, but he doesn't necessarily jump off the page. Rocky Jordan is a classic SPG wrestler -- all we really have to project him is Ironman and a handful of matches in Ohio. With four other wrestlers in the class, at least one of them is likely to see starting time. The volume, as well as Mattox's upside, gives the Buckeyes the slight edge.
No. 14 Joey Silva
Nick Freeman
Mike Mars
Is is possible Will Lewan and Joey Silva never win NCAA titles? Sure, a prospect's ceiling is certainly a factor in recruiting rankings. But so is his floor. For both of these guys, reaching the round of 12 is the absolute worst-case scenario. They both remind of Brady Berge in that respect; they are ready to come in right away and compete against ranked guys.
Mike Mars and Nick Freeman certainly add depth at the lighter weight. I'm not sure if they ever see the starting lineup. They certainly could, but at the very least Michigan is set at the first three or four weights for the next four-plus years.
No. 46 Joel Shapiro
No. 82 Francis Duggan
Isaac Judge
Anthony Sherry
Cayd Lara
Weston DiBlasi
Iowa State was maybe going to be a fringe top 10 team or honorable mention on this list. Then David Carr committed. I'm going to keep hammering this point, adding an NCAA champion-quality recruit will pay off dividends in the long run.
No. 21 Alex Lloyd
Zach Price
Sam Stuhl
I think this is an example of great value for SDSU coach Chris Bono and the Jackrabbits. Minnesota has long been a fertile recruiting ground for both Dakota schools, and SDSU has snatched up guys out of the Pinnacle club before. But Alex Lloyd and Peyton Robb seem like excellent fits in that room. They're best friends, and I love the way they compete. I think both will be able to put up points at the college level.
No. 41 Shane Griffith
Shane Griffith remains one of the hardest recruits to evaluate. There are times I feel he isn't offensive enough to maintain his high level of performance in college and other times when I look at his hit list and think that he can continue to beat those guys at the next level. Woods comes in third on our inaugural prospect rankings at 141 pounds. A former Cadet Greco world teamer, Woods comes from an Illinois powerhouse in Montini Catholic.
No. 42 Brandon Whitman
No. 65 Joey Melendez
No. 79 Mason Phillips
Keaton Kluever
Mark Chaid
Michael Goldfeder
Coleman Scott and the Tar Heels are coming in late with the heat, picking up Ryan Karoly and Mason Phillips just a few days ago. Brandon Whitman has continued to grow on me the more tape I watch on him and should fill an immediate need at 197. Joey Melendez was ninth in the 125lb prospect rankings -- he's a guy who has only impressed since taking on Daton Fix on short notice at Beat the Streets.
Karoly is interesting given the circumstances of his flipped from Northwestern to North Carolina. He also fits much better into UNC's lineup as a 174 than a 184, where Chasen Blair and Nick Mosco are already on the roster. It is also difficult to figure out where Phillips fits in on the roster, with AC Headlee a sophomore 141, Austin O'Connor taking over for 149 next year, and Kennedy Monday a freshman 157.
No. 53 Jakob Camacho
No. 80 Jarrett Trombley
No. 89 Tyler Barnes
Tony Wuest
Matthew Grippi
The Wolfpack do not have a ton of guys who are super highly ranked, but they have good volume in this class and should get miles from their commits as starters. I'm very high on Jakob Camacho after wins over Drew Mattin, Adam Busiello, Patrick Glory, Alex Thomsen, and Antonio Mininno. Quinn Kinner was a bit of a revelation at FloNationals. His brother is already there, and along with Jarrett Trombley, Kinner cements the Wolfpack's lightweights for the next several years. Tyler Barnes will need to find a way to fit in with Nick Reenan.
No. 51 Grant Aronoff
No. 95 Jake Hendricks
Ben Goldin
Doug Zapf
Carmen Ferrante
Jason Montgomery
Three Big Board guys in Anthony Artalona, Grant Aronoff, and Jake Hendricks, plus a weight class-ranked guy in Ben Goldin, is a tremendous haul for Penn. It's hard not to include the Quakers' next-door neighbor and RTC partner in Drexel, but Penn has just a slightly bigger and better group. Artalona might be a little high right now in terms of his folkstyle potential, but he'll certainly provide value as a starter, along with Goldin and Aronoff helping to open that Florida pipeline.
The number next to the recruit is where he falls on the 2018 Big Board. There is no consideration for guys who have not yet committed, so these will change as the remainder of top kids pledge to a school. This list only goes to 10, but the end-of-year comprehensive rankings will include more teams being ranked as well as honorable mention.
A reminder, as of this writing, Aaron Brooks, Trent Hidlay, Mason Parris, Brayton Lee, and Sammy Sasso are the highest-ranked recruits yet to verbally commit. Check out the complete list of 2018 verbal commits here.
1) Penn State
No. 2 Travis WittlakeNo. 4 Michael Beard
No. 9 Gavin Teasdale
No. 13 Roman Bravo-Young
No. 26 Seth Nevills
No. 20 Joe Lee
No. 34 Brody Teske
Brandon Meredith
Not sure what else needs to be said. Even Arizona State's much-ballyhooed 2015 class might look pedestrian compared to the way people feel about Penn State's 2018 class. The Nittany Lions have received commitments from seven of the top 35, and they address pretty much any lineup holes. With the sheer volume of this class, PSU's place at the top of the list this year will be undisputed, even if a kid or two decommits.
2) Minnesota
No. 1 Gable StevesonNo. 56 Patrick McKee
No. 98 Ryan Thomas
Kasper McIntosh
Garrett Joles
Gable Steveson might be the most obvious No. 1 recruit in a long, long time. Mark Hall was also a consensus top guy, but the gap between Gable and any No. 2 is much bigger than it was for Hall and then-No. 2 Nick Suriano. Why does that matter? Hammers are disproportionately valuable in wrestling. Case in point, Joey Dance was an incredible wrestler who scored 32 career points at the NCAA tournament; Zain Retherford scored 28 just last year. That's the type of guy Gable can be for the Gophers.
Steveson's commitment alone is probably enough to have Minnesota ranked in the top five, but the Gophers have also received pledges from WNO winner and Fargo champ Patrick McKee and Ryan Thomas, a stud out of St. Paris Graham (Ohio). McKee's stock continues to rise in my book, and a strong Super 32 could cement him as one of the best 125lb prospects in this class. It's hard not to feel good about Thomas after seeing him beat Mason Reiniche and Erich Byelick this past weekend at the Grappler Fall Classic.
3) Ohio State
No. 7 Gavin HoffmanNo. 22 Jaden Mattox
No. 40 Malik Heinselman
No. 52 Rocky Jordan
Braeden Redlin
Jashon Hubbard
Kyle Gruber
Nate Keaton
The Nos. 3-5 teams are a little more subjective based upon what you value. I personally love Gavin Hoffman, and I think he proved he can be right there with Michael Beard in college. Jaden Mattox is an absolute terror on top.
Malik Heinselman is another tough one to peg. I don't have the same size concerns some do about him, but he doesn't necessarily jump off the page. Rocky Jordan is a classic SPG wrestler -- all we really have to project him is Ironman and a handful of matches in Ohio. With four other wrestlers in the class, at least one of them is likely to see starting time. The volume, as well as Mattox's upside, gives the Buckeyes the slight edge.
4) Michigan
No. 8 Will LewanNo. 14 Joey Silva
Nick Freeman
Mike Mars
Is is possible Will Lewan and Joey Silva never win NCAA titles? Sure, a prospect's ceiling is certainly a factor in recruiting rankings. But so is his floor. For both of these guys, reaching the round of 12 is the absolute worst-case scenario. They both remind of Brady Berge in that respect; they are ready to come in right away and compete against ranked guys.
Mike Mars and Nick Freeman certainly add depth at the lighter weight. I'm not sure if they ever see the starting lineup. They certainly could, but at the very least Michigan is set at the first three or four weights for the next four-plus years.
5) Iowa State
No. 5 David CarrNo. 46 Joel Shapiro
No. 82 Francis Duggan
Isaac Judge
Anthony Sherry
Cayd Lara
Weston DiBlasi
Iowa State was maybe going to be a fringe top 10 team or honorable mention on this list. Then David Carr committed. I'm going to keep hammering this point, adding an NCAA champion-quality recruit will pay off dividends in the long run.
6) South Dakota St.
No. 19 Peyton RobbNo. 21 Alex Lloyd
Zach Price
Sam Stuhl
I think this is an example of great value for SDSU coach Chris Bono and the Jackrabbits. Minnesota has long been a fertile recruiting ground for both Dakota schools, and SDSU has snatched up guys out of the Pinnacle club before. But Alex Lloyd and Peyton Robb seem like excellent fits in that room. They're best friends, and I love the way they compete. I think both will be able to put up points at the college level.
7) Stanford
No. 25 Real WoodsNo. 41 Shane Griffith
Shane Griffith remains one of the hardest recruits to evaluate. There are times I feel he isn't offensive enough to maintain his high level of performance in college and other times when I look at his hit list and think that he can continue to beat those guys at the next level. Woods comes in third on our inaugural prospect rankings at 141 pounds. A former Cadet Greco world teamer, Woods comes from an Illinois powerhouse in Montini Catholic.
8) UNC
No. 27 Ryan KarolyNo. 42 Brandon Whitman
No. 65 Joey Melendez
No. 79 Mason Phillips
Keaton Kluever
Mark Chaid
Michael Goldfeder
Coleman Scott and the Tar Heels are coming in late with the heat, picking up Ryan Karoly and Mason Phillips just a few days ago. Brandon Whitman has continued to grow on me the more tape I watch on him and should fill an immediate need at 197. Joey Melendez was ninth in the 125lb prospect rankings -- he's a guy who has only impressed since taking on Daton Fix on short notice at Beat the Streets.
Karoly is interesting given the circumstances of his flipped from Northwestern to North Carolina. He also fits much better into UNC's lineup as a 174 than a 184, where Chasen Blair and Nick Mosco are already on the roster. It is also difficult to figure out where Phillips fits in on the roster, with AC Headlee a sophomore 141, Austin O'Connor taking over for 149 next year, and Kennedy Monday a freshman 157.
9) NC State
No. 49 Quinn KinnerNo. 53 Jakob Camacho
No. 80 Jarrett Trombley
No. 89 Tyler Barnes
Tony Wuest
Matthew Grippi
The Wolfpack do not have a ton of guys who are super highly ranked, but they have good volume in this class and should get miles from their commits as starters. I'm very high on Jakob Camacho after wins over Drew Mattin, Adam Busiello, Patrick Glory, Alex Thomsen, and Antonio Mininno. Quinn Kinner was a bit of a revelation at FloNationals. His brother is already there, and along with Jarrett Trombley, Kinner cements the Wolfpack's lightweights for the next several years. Tyler Barnes will need to find a way to fit in with Nick Reenan.
10) Penn
No. 16 Anthony ArtalonaNo. 51 Grant Aronoff
No. 95 Jake Hendricks
Ben Goldin
Doug Zapf
Carmen Ferrante
Jason Montgomery
Three Big Board guys in Anthony Artalona, Grant Aronoff, and Jake Hendricks, plus a weight class-ranked guy in Ben Goldin, is a tremendous haul for Penn. It's hard not to include the Quakers' next-door neighbor and RTC partner in Drexel, but Penn has just a slightly bigger and better group. Artalona might be a little high right now in terms of his folkstyle potential, but he'll certainly provide value as a starter, along with Goldin and Aronoff helping to open that Florida pipeline.